Volume 6: Rise of the Shadow Dragon
by Ankhesenamen
Summary: When Lance is confronted with a startling revelation, he faces his greatest challenge yet. He must hide the most wanted thief in the region from the most powerful Crime Lord. But everyone has their secrets… and no one more so than Lance...
1. Rise of the Shadow Dragon

**Volume 6: Rise of the Shadow Dragon.**

**21 years ago**

_The spring afternoon was warm and breezy. Not a cloud could be seen in the sky as the brilliant greens of the gardens greeted Giovanni. The air was crisp and 'tasty' which caused him to heave a tranquil sigh. Having finished work early, he quietly approached a beautiful, young woman who slept soundly on a daybed in the shade of a willow tree. Seven months pregnant with their first child, she looked like an angel. _

_Oblivious to his silent approach, Giovanni watched her like this for several moments before gently placing a kiss on her forehead. She was his everything, his sole light in this darkened world. Yet even in her sleep, she shifted uncomfortably in his presence. There was a rift between them; he couldn't ignore the fact any longer. After finding out what he was capable of, she'd become afraid to even be around him. She feared him and his growing power, though no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to convince her that he would never hurt her. _

_A sketchbook that lay across her stomach slipped and Giovanni caught it before it hit the ground. The woman's hands were stained with pencil and he could clearly see that she'd spent the morning sketching again. This seemed to be the only thing she could find comfort in. She no longer worked on her research. Hell she hardly even wrote in her journal anymore. _

_Giovanni flicked though several drawings of Dratinis and other small Pokémon common the gardens - one of which slept soundly at her side. The young Meowth heaved a sleepy yawn when it noticed Giovanni's presence and he placed a finger to his lip to shush it. _

_A breeze blew several pages on the sketchbook and soon enough Giovanni found his eyes falling on a sketch of a Dragon so fierce it wasn't like any Pokémon he'd ever seen before. Deep, black eyes glared up at him from the page and a fanged snarl greeted him. It was long and almost serpent-like, with sharp, angular claws and scales. It appeared as if to be no part of this world, as its back half seemed to just fade into the paper. But what was of most interest was that it was missing a tooth. _

_Giovanni watched the picture for several seconds; intrigued and yet horrified that something so disturbing could possibly come from the mind of a woman so pure. _

_He closed the sketchbook and put it down it on the table beside them. Then finding a spot on the daybed, he sat down beside his wife and carefully placed a hand on her stomach. He felt the light kick of their daughter as; alerted by his presence she greeted him. She was strong like her father; active and lively she had already caused both of her parents many restless nights. _

_Giovanni had done everything in his power to make Aisha as comfortable as possible in these later stages of her pregnancy. He would stay up with her and walk with her when she couldn't sleep. Even as he watched her he couldn't help but feel peace. She was… beautiful. _

_It didn't take long for the woman to stir in his presence. She blinked in the afternoon sunlight and shifted under the weight of his hand. _

"_Giovanni," she whispered with a cracked voice._

"_You've been having the nightmares again haven't you?" he said as-a-matter-of-factly and she followed his gaze to her sketchbook on the table._

_A pained look soon fell over her face as she struggled to pull herself upright to sit beside him._

"_You've been like this for weeks Aisha. I need you to talk to me," Giovanni continued._

"_I'm worried," she replied._

"_About the child?"_

_She was hesitant, her eyes falling to her feet and her hands gripping the edges of the daybed. "Giovanni, __I don't worry about the things that an expecting mother should worry about. I don't worry about the health of the child or what to name her." She glimpsed him in the eyes, a face now fraught with concern. "I worry about her growing up in a world like this. I want to take her to the temple, Giovanni. For her to be trained and educated there in the ways of the Dragon Clan."_

"_Aisha…" Giovanni heaved a weary sigh, rubbing his temples with his forefinger and thumb. "We discussed this. I've already made an agreement with your mother, she will train her."_

"_I don't trust her." _

"_Your own mother?"_

_The fear in her eyes was soon replaced with a solemn glare. "I fear the path she's taking you down, Giovanni. She is driving a wedge between us, and she despises me because I fight her. I fight her because I don't want to lose you to that same darkness."_

"_You're making no sense Aisha. You won't lose me." It wasn't his intention but he was starting to get irritated at her. "But like it or not, Sa'lu is the best possible person to give her the training she needs for the things that are in store for her. It's not negotiable."_

"_You would rather bring her up as a clone of yourself and my mother? Do you know what she will become?"_

"_She will become what I need her to be."_

"_Sa'lu will use her to challenge the Dragon Temple."_

"_Don't be ridiculous!" Giovanni snarled with more force than he'd intended. _

_Suddenly hurt, Aisha had to look away, her eyes filling with tears. She swallowed before pulling herself to her feet and placing a protective hand over her stomach. There was coldness in her voice now as she faced him before walking away. "Then I fear this will be the death of me."_

* * *

**21 years later…. The same day Team Rocket took over the Goldenrod Radio Tower**

_The loud explosion rocked the ship, knocking everyone standing off their feet. A huge, blue monster burst from its metal prison, ripping the ship's hull like paper. With a mighty splash it hit the water only to disappear into the ocean's depths. _

_A red headed woman in Team Magma garb stepped up to the rail with a com on her ear and a wide smirk on her face. "This is Shelly," she spoke into the com. "The plan's a success."_

_Watching her from beneath his hood, Lance quietly stepped from his hiding spot in the shadows with his hands upon his hips._

"_Bravo!" he copied her smirk. _

_The woman immediately jumped and spun to take him into her sights - a single Team Magma agent. _

_Lance continued, "I wouldn't expect any less for the strategic commander of Team Aqua. Nice work and nice disguise."_

_The look of startle on her face returned to her confident smirk as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Thanks. You're not exactly a Team Magma member yourself are you?"_

"_I'm only here to help," Lance replied with a smile. "I realise how important it is to release Kyogre to the sea. How else can it be controlled with the red orb?"_

"_That's right!" Shelly nodded. Unfazed by his presence, she quickly tore off her Team Magma disguise to reveal the scuba suit she wore underneath. "And very soon we shall have the power that allows Team Aqua to rule the world!" _

_Without taking a second glance, she clambered the rail and leapt. _

_Lance frowned as he watched her land feet first into the crashing waves, allowing the strong ocean swell to carry her away._

"_Don't count on it," he replied in an undertone. "You may be powerful Team Aqua, but so am I."_


	2. Que Sera Sera

**Que Sera**** Sera**

The evening was well along by the time I stepped foot into my house. Dusty and murky, it was clear that the place spent most of its time uninhabited.

Heaving a weary sigh, I let my cape slip from my shoulders and pulled my tunic over my head. It'd been a long couple of weeks, but the mission was over and I could rest easy knowing that balance had once again been restored. Unfortunately, the same couldn't exactly be said about my faith in the Human condition.

There was a reason why I absorbed myself in Pokémon and not in people.

Kicking off my boots, I made my way into the kitchen and threw the folder in my hands onto the island bench. Pouring myself a drink, I took a moment to examine its contents.

There had been in a break-in at the PGM headquarters while I was away, and an important artefact stolen; the intact remains of a Mew to be exact. The remains had been seized in a raid on a Team Aqua facility in Hoenn several months prior, and judging from the security photos, they were keen on getting it back.

The footage was scratchy at best but from what could be compiled, it looked as though Shelly - the commander of the criminal clan - headed the operation. She held the resemblance, the skills and even the right types of Pokémon. It would have been an open and shut case… if it wasn't for the fact that I'd met with Shelly on assignment in Hoenn that very day.

The woman in the photo _wasn't_ Shelly.

I compared this with another file; the report on the Team Rocket raid of the Goldenrod Radio Tower. It'd gone down on the same night, and as I flicked through the photos of those involved in the incident - Kair included - I couldn't help but feel this was so much more than mere coincidence.

Going to take another sip of my drink I cast a brief glance down the hall only to spot a large, blue tail that sat in the doorway of my bedroom.

I had to double-take. "What the…?"

Placing my glass back down on the bench, I carefully treaded down the hall to inspect. Peering into the darkness of my bedroom, it didn't take me long to realise the tail belonged to a sleepy yet familiar looking Feraligator.

The Pokémon stirred on my approach, and spinning on his fore claws started to snarl.

"Hey, easy… easy Feraligator. It's me."

As if to inspectt me, the monster gave me a brief sniff before concluding that I was who I claimed to be, and backed down to allow me into the room. The Feraligator grunted and grabbed the attention of his companion who at that point was nothing more than a dark shadow against the backdrop of my window. Charizard carefully lifted his flaming tail high enough to shed light into the room and signalled me to the form that lay undisturbed on my bed.

"Kair?" Stepping around her monsters, I approached the bed. She lay on her back but her head flopped to the side and I couldn't help but notice the red stain that slowly seeped into my pillow.

"Kair?" I repeated, giving her a brief shake of the shoulders.

She was out cold.

Rolling her head, I saw the massive, bloody gouge that made its way across her cheek. As if to fight the effects of an attack, her eyes rolled in her head and I soon realised she was dreaming.

"Charizard, what happened?" I glanced back at the hulking fire lizard and a low grumble escaped his throat. He looked battle fatigued, which left me to draw the conclusion that whatever trouble Kair had found herself in, Charizard somehow managed to get her out of it. But why bring her here?

I needed to wake her.

"Feraligator, in the living room I left a backpack on the floor. Can you get it for me please?"

The Pokémon obliged and returned moments later with the bag. Grabbing it from his claws, I took to rummaging about it before I came across a wakening agent more commonly used on Pokémon. Taking the spray, I gave it a brief shake before squeezing the trigger and allowed the mist to settle on Kair's face. Another squeeze was all it took for her eyes to flutter open.

She heaved a cough as her body jolted upright and her mind exited its sleepy prison. The girl curled up into a ball, retching and heaving over the side of the bed before she stopped to take in her surroundings. She swallowed. Her eyes were bloodshot and I could clearly see the headache that burned through her temples.

"Kair? What happened?" I barely allowed her to take me into her sight before I flew upon her with my questions.

All at once her mind seemed to catch up and ignoring my questioning, she scrambled upright, checking herself over for hurt and pressing her hands onto her stomach.

"Kair?"

Fighting her own soreness, she closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. Then as if to confirm something to herself she heaved a gentle sigh and finally acknowledged me. She looked me square in the eyes, oblivious to the blood that ran down the side of her face, or the bruises on her neck.

"How did I get here?" she questioned, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I was hoping you could shed some light on the situation. Who did this to you?"

I could tell it pained her to swallow. She took a moment longer to concentrate on her ability, this time drawing in a Recover attack that at least stopped the bleeding and helped her wounds to begin to heal.

"I crossed a line and I can't go back," she finally said.

"Your father did this?"

And she nodded.

"Legendaries, Kair," I cursed. Sitting myself down next to her I rested my elbows on my knees and watched her. "What did you do?"

Pulling herself from my gaze, she shifted and took a sudden interest in the sheets. "You recall when we spoke on the pier that night and I told you of those strange things I'd been feeling?"

I nodded.

In attempt to gather her thoughts, I watched the way her lips moved as if to play with her words on her tongue before speaking them. "Your assignment in Viridian three months ago apparently merited more than you gaining your dark ability."

I frowned. "You father attacked you because of our relationship?"

"He attacked me because he found out something I didn't want him to." She heaved a sigh and finally mustered the strength to glimpse me in the eye. "I'm pregnant, Lance."

Getting her Charizard to use a flamethrower attack on me wouldn't have even come close to what it felt like to hear those words. I felt the need to reaffirm her statement but what she'd said was clear and unmistakable.

"You can't be serious."

The sullen look in her eyes only stated the truth.

"Legendaries Kair…" dazed and mortified I let my head drop into my hands, sucking in air through my nostrils and exhaling. What had I done? "Three months?... You're already a third of the way through…"

"I'm so sorry Lance." She came to my side and carefully placed a hand on my shoulder. "I had meant to tell you sooner but I wasn't sure…what I wanted to do."

And suddenly our phone conversation earlier that morning made sense. "Life is wonderful," I wheezed. "You were fishing for answers."

I tilted my head to face her and she sat back down, her gaze guilty and… empty. And I realised right then that she was here because she had nowhere else to go.

"When you say your father attacked you…?"

"It means that he attempted to take matters in his own hands," she confirmed.

"And you fought him?"

Kair nodded.

It meant that while I was still here attempting to come to grips with the situation, whether she knew it or not, her mind was already made up. She was going all the way. I watched Kair taking in the remainder of the room, her eyes falling on her two Pokémon who watched us carefully. The tension that filled the room was the same sort that came just before a battle. Her Pokémon didn't feel safe here.

"We've got to get you out of here." Pulling myself to my feet, I fell into a pace around the bed, gathering up my backpack and Pokéballs. "Knowing Giovanni, this isn't over. He won't stop until he finds you, and this will be the first place he looks for you."

"Where else can we go?" Kair followed me from the room and back down the hallway.

"I have a cabin further into the mountains. Gather up your Pokémon, we leave five minutes ago."


	3. The Temple

**The Temple**

She looked so peaceful as she slept. This untamed spirit of fire and energy lain to rest silently beside me. The blue dye in her hair was fading to make way for the chocolate brown that was her natural colour. Her body, curled up and resting on its side, was tight and showed the fitness and agility of an athlete in her prime. Trained to her peak, she was a seasoned fighter. Intelligent and quick in mind, the air about her spoke of deadly elegance. And yet even in spite of this, she was still so… innocent.

All she knew was what a life of crime had taught her. She really had no idea who she was… nor did she have any understanding of her true potential. I guess, for the moment that was a good thing. For power such as what she was capable of, if left untrained, had the ability to cause great destruction. In her, her mother's spirit was still very much alive.

The bed we shared wasn't exactly roomy. I never brought people here, and therefore I had no use for anything bigger. So I found myself pressed up against her in a gentle, lover's embrace.

We'd flown through the night to get here and then we'd fallen into bed and slept for most of the morning. Here in question was a cabin I owned that sat nestled deep in Dragon Territory - a place where I did most of my training during the months leading up to the Indigo games. Here the mountain range reached as far as the horizon was wide, one mountain in particular towering over all others - namely the notorious Mt. Silver. It was a treacherous place, somewhere off limits for everyone who didn't already know their way around. Here she would be safe. Team Rocket would never find us.

Letting my eyes wander across her body in the afternoon sunlight, I allowed them to rest on her stomach that lay hidden beneath a loose Team Rocket inspired shirt. It had lifted slightly in her sleep, laying bare the secret she'd kept hidden from her father for these past weeks. Her stomach was already beginning to form the familiar bump that came with being pregnant with twins, and I knew from this point on she would only keep getting bigger and bigger.

Legendaries…. twins… it was a concept I couldn't seem to get my mind around… couldn't fathom that it was through this woman I'd end up passing on my legacy… and not only this but the legacy of Giovanni - the very man I'd dedicated my life to fighting.

My mind was a messy torrent of thought. What was I going to do with her? The daughter of a Mobster and a Dragonchild. Would the elders accept her? Would they accept our union despite the fact that it never should have taken place? Our children would be bastards to the clan. Full blooded yes, but bastards nevertheless.

Our union was set to bring dishonour to my family, but then what was honour in a clan that built itself on customs and traditions rather than values such as growth and self development as the Dragon Masters of old had fought so hard for?

It brought my mind back to other things… things related to the day Kair had brought me her mother's journal and what I'd read. Still so naive, I'd given Kair only what she'd needed to hear. The rest that was written in Aisha's journal I dared not tell anyone… especially her daughter...

Eventually as the afternoon came to pass, I realised that sleep had left me, so I decided to get up. Leaving Kair to rest, I silently made my way down the steps to the main living area. The cabin was more or less a wooden loft on stilts, so apart from the bathroom, privacy was a factor left in want.

As was to be expected, the old fridge was empty and lifeless, meaning that I still needed to start up the power generator and go and get supplies. Being so far into the mountains, the cabin had to be completely self sustained. When I'd found it, it was an abandoned, crumpled wreck and it had taken me years to get it to this point. Only last year I'd managed to install huge solar panels on the roof and a pump that syphoned water from a mountain spring. However, it still lacked certain elements such as several items of furniture and a properly functioning kitchen. It was a work in progress.

The clothes I'd brought were what I had in my backpack, which consisted predominantly of my uniform, a Team Magma outfit and a set of civilian casuals – all of which badly needed washing. Mixing and matching, I picked the least pungent items and dressed in a simple, white tunic and my Team Magma trousers. Then slipping into a pair of boots and throwing a cape over my shoulders, I made my way out.

The afternoon sun was high in the sky and I found myself having to squint as I took to searching for my Dragonite. She watched me as she lazily drifted about on a warm updraft.

"Hurrrr," she bellowed in greeting, coming in for a landing in front of me.

"How are you feeling, Dragonite?" I asked her, giving her a gentle rub on the nose. She nudged my hand in response, telling me that she was well rested and ready for another day of activity.

She'd worked hard while we were on assignment, even pitching herself up against the likes of certain legendary Pokémon. What we'd witnessed these past few weeks were things trainers in general could only dream of seeing. It was these activities that kept her at the peak of her game.

These days we seldom fought in trainer battles for profit - with the exception of the Indigo League. In my line of work, I hardly had the time for it. Granted, working for the government wasn't exactly my idea of the perfect career, but it brought in an income and most importantly it allowed me to pursue my passion – Pokémon.

"Are you ready to head home?" I asked the Dragonite before I pulled myself onto her back and in a single flap of her wings we were off.

Being so high up in the mountains, the first thing I noticed was the fact that the air was thinner here, and the summer not nearly as hot. In fact, in several places where the sun failed to reach, there were lage clumps of snow. At my orders, Dragonite flew low to the mountain and followed a winding road that weaved its way along the pass. Keeping the uniquely silver coloured mountain to our left, we eventually came across a tiny village located on its western face. Elegant, stone buildings decorated with dragons were etched into the cliff-face. This was home to the Dragon Masters of old. The village was as ancient as the clan itself.

Dragonite dropped me off on one of many landing platforms that reached out from the village's walls, and I immediately found myself greeted by familiar faces that I had not seen for many months.

"Master Lance!" one of the village's older men greeted me with a gentle, toothless smile. "Your unexpected presence brings a good omen."

I smiled in return, passing him by and continuing down dark walkways that burrowed into the side of the mountain. Then coming across a large set of stairs, I bounded up them two at a time. The stairs lead me up above the village to a pair of giant, double doors displaying intricate designs of Dragonair and Dragonites on silver panels. Even in spite of the time of day, the main entrance to the Dragon Temple was shrouded in shadow. The temple was as ancient as the clan itself. Just as the village below it, this most holy structure in the Dragon kingdom had been long ago etched into the side of Mount Silver.

As tradition dictated, I slipped off my boots and entered through the double doors barefoot. The tiles felt unusually warm under my feet as I strode the quiet hallways that contained great pillars and walls etched with scenes of various Dragon Pokémon in battle, flight or other various forms of activity. Being an ancient volcano, Mt Silver was teaming with hot springs that the masters of old put to use in warming the floors of the temple, so the place was always somewhat humid – a pleasant temperature for the dragons that resided here.

Making my way up several more flights of stairs, I soon approached a chamber that sat atop the temple's highest point. The room was sparsely lit and it's only form of furniture were several large sitting cushions that encircled a small table with a teapot and two cups.

The chamber's only occupant stood alone at the window, quietly watching the mountain range that stretched out before the temple.

"Grandfather, may I enter?"

The old man turned at my utterance with a startled rise of an eyebrow. "Young Lance?"

I bowed my head, a sign of respect in the presence of the elders. "If I may, I would like to seek your advice."

"Take a seat Grandson," he gestured a hand to a cushion which I placed myself into and crossed my legs out in front of me. My grandfather did likewise and took up the teapot. "Tea?"

I shook my head. "No… thank you."

He poured me a cup. "So what brings you here on this unexpected visit?" With his sharp, intense gaze only otherwise found in my own mirror, he watched me.

Hesitantly, I took a sip of the drink, attempting to push down the bitter tasting tea leaves that only grew on the mountain face. "I am reaping the consequences of my actions and I find myself at a crossroad. Either path that I consider leads me or someone that I am close to into potential danger."

"Your actions, they led to the involvement of this person you are close to?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"So you are saying it is a matter of selflessness as opposed to self preservation?"

I paused for a moment. "…yes."

"And you are seeking my approval that to run away from such responsibilities as an act of self preservation is acceptable."

"No," I refuted. "It's not that at all, Grandfather."

"Then why are you really here? Surely you already know in your heart which path you are willing to take."

I let my head drop, heaving a heavy sigh. Why did he always have to do this?

"Yes Grandfather, I know what I need to do… its just… how? My actions will not only bring my name shame but yours to."

"According to whose counsel do you gain these conclusions?"

"….traditions I suppose."

My grandfather let a smirk slip his lip. "And you and I both know how we feel about 'tradition'. If I had wanted a man bent on tradition to take my place one day, I would have taught you differently." His gaze became gentle. "Grandson, what brings shame to a man is running away from his responsibility, especially his responsibilities to others."

I nodded. "I'm not running away. I just need to know… how to handle it."

"Only you yourself can know the answer to that. In order to do what is right, you must first discern what is best for the other person. That is the greatest expression of love - putting those you care about before yourself."

"Thank you Grandfather."

* * *

The library, as a contrast to the remainder of the temple was light and spacious. Shelves lined the great chamber which seemed so much shorter than what I remembered as a child.

I approached a woman from behind with beautiful, crimson hair. Absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't notice me as she went about sorting through several books that sat scattered across an elegant, hardwood desk. At least a head shorter than me, my presence behind her only came to her attention as my shadow fell over her and the desk. She reeled on the spot wide eyed and startled.

"Lance! Wh…" she clutched her beating chest. "What are you doing here?"

I had to laugh. "It's good to see you too, Mother."

The woman let her composure rest and allowed me to draw her into a tight embrace. I let her briefly check me over to ensure I was looking after myself as seemed to be a habit of mothers, before satisfied, she stepped back to take me fully into her sights.

"Why do I get the impression you're not just here for a simple visit?"

My expression fell. "It is that obvious?"

She gave me the rise of an eyebrow and a nod before directing me out onto a balcony just off the library and pulling up a seat in front of a small table. From our location we could just see the tiny dots of Blackthorn city that sat below us.

"What bothers you, my son?" her smile was warm and inviting, always willing to lend a listening ear.

I heaved a sigh, not even sure where to begin. "There is… this girl."

"Aisha's daughter?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"You recall the last time we spoke I mentioned that I had found her. And that she'd grown up under the instruction of Sa'lu."

My mother nodded. "You wanted to try and reach her inner Dragonchild."

"Yes. But then, something happened."

My mother watched me in silence as I licked my lips in attempt to gather my words. "She showed me Aisha's writings… her final writings before she passed away. They were… different to her regular research."

Her head tilted, "How so?"

"Her words were like that of a Seer."

"Lancelot, the Dragon clan has not needed a Seer for many years. Not since the Great Master took on the Phantom Dragon."

"I know," I said. "It's just that… well the patterns I've seen beginning to develop in the clan… The turn toward pointless ritual and tradition as opposed to growth and learning, Aisha saw them too. She predicted a shift in the clan was set to happen… that in time when the elements lined up, change would be upon us-"

"Lance, this was a woman who spent as many years under the instruction of her mother as she did here. You can't assume she didn't also dabble in the Shadow arts just as her mother did."

She didn't, I was sure of that. If she had, then things would have been different… but how could I say that to her without giving myself away? I let my thoughts drop for a moment before shifting them on to things of more imminent concern.

"Kair is pregnant."

"Pregnant?" her look was confused – as if to inquire of the relevance of my utterance. "I wasn't aware that she was in a relationship. Who is the father?"

"I am."

As was to be expected, the woman found herself utterly speechless. She blinked once… twice… "You… you're bringing Shadow heritage into the clan?"

I had to mentally scoff at her question, because unbeknownst to her or anyone else in the clan, I could have mated with the purest clan member and still introduce Shadow blood. It didn't matter anyway, it was simply a title. My DNA was still the same. I was still the same person in every way.

"She isn't a Shadow, Mother," I argued defensively. "She has no idea of her heritage. She is nothing like her grandmother."

My mother took a moment to compile the information in her mind before the slow smile made its way across her face. "I never thought it could happen to you."

"Pardon?" I blinked absently.

But she simply laughed, bringing her hands to my cheeks in a display of affection. "My little Lancelot, you finally allowed a woman into your heart."


	4. Reckless Abandon

**Reckless Abandon**

_Giovanni was a force to be reckoned with. Furious, he fell into a constant pace in front of the fire place, fists clenched and a__n infuriated scowl on his face. His disobedient, brat daughter had run away. Not only this, but she'd run away with a sworn enemy to his organisation! _

_Sa'lu watched him from her perch behind her desk, her face cool and her composure collected. She seldom appreciated uninvited guests to her island, especially when she had other activities to attend to. _

"_I fail to see how you can presume this to be a bad thing, Giovanni," she stated bluntly._

"_What are you talking about?" he spat._

_Ignoring his question, the Shadow Dragon Master carefully plucked the spectacles from her nose and placed them on the table in front of her. Then leaning back in her seat she crossed one leg over the other and cast a gentle hand onto the head of her Persian who sat obediently to her side. _

"_I know exactly where your daughter is."  
_

_This caused Giovanni to halt in his tracks. He spun on the spot to take her into his sight, fighting with every ounce of his strength not to explode on her. "Where is she?" he struggled to keep his voice composed. _

"_I'm not going to tell you."_

"_What?"_

_A quick rise of her hand was all it took to shush him. "This is perfect, Giovanni. Your daughter is discovering her Dragonchild roots. Not only this, but that child in her womb has the blood of the world's strongest Dragon Master running through its veins."_

_His scowl narrowed. "What are you getting at, Woman?"_

_The slow smirk made its way across Sa'lu's face. "With Lance, she will only become more powerful." _

"_So you're suggesting that I simply let her have this abomination? You know the very thought sickens me."_

"_Stop being emotional, Giovanni. It doesn't suit you." the woman berated him like a mother would to a disobedient child. "You're failing to see the bigger picture. Where you foresee imminent disaster, I see an invested interest. Aisha is only half-blood Dragonchild, but when paired with the likes of Lance, her offspring will be more powerful than ever. Let her have the child. Then when it is weaned, I will take it off your hands." _

_

* * *

_

The bag of groceries landed on the bench with a loud thud. Heaving a sigh, I brushed loose strands of hair from my face and glimpsed the setting sun through the kitchen window. There Kair's stood on the rail of the balcony with a makeshift blindfold wrapped around her eyes. Deep in concentration, she was oblivious to her audience as I watched her careful, backward tread across a rail that was barely the width of her feet.

With arms out stretched, she bent her torso forward into an arch where after taking in several breaths she gripped the rail in her hands and pulled her legs up into a slow handstand.

Unable to take my eyes off her, I made my way out to the balcony. Nothing but elegance and grace, I couldn't help but trace the exquisite lines her body formed in the setting sunlight.

Noticing my presence she finished up her exercises and pulled away the blindfold. "How long have you been here?" she asked through a strained breath, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Not long," I replied, extending a hand and helping her down from the rail.

She took a moment to compose herself and downed a glass of water which she had placed on the balcony by her feet. I cast a wary glance at the steady drop of the cliff face that lay beyond the balcony.

"You really do have no fear of heights do you," I mused.

Kair cast me a sideways smirk. "I've been doing this sort of thing since I was a kid. First rule of training, you have to know how to fall."

I could only imagine the regime she'd grown up under, something I hoped no other child would ever have to go through. I just had to be thankful her training had been cut short as she approached her teenage years - before Giovanni and Sa'lu could make a true killing machine out of her.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, pushing those thoughts aside.

"Starved."

"I've brought dinner."

Having no form of dining furniture, we ate on the floor in front of the fire place. The evenings up here were always bitter, so we found ourselves rugged up under blankets in front of a roaring fire. Eating in silence, I watched her carefully picking the peas out of her fried rice with a fork. She had a distant look in her eyes, as though her mind fought to sort through a great influx thought as a result of the happenings these past few weeks.

The cut on her cheek was beginning to heal but I could already see it was going to leave a scar. A scar in the distorted shape of a letter R. It almost looked like a branding – a reminder to us from her father as to where her heritage lay. She hadn't spoken much since I'd brought her here - only telling me things that I needed to hear but leaving large gaps in the limited information she'd given me.

Placing her fork down, Kair heaved a satisfied sigh and leaned back against the base of the couch. She shifted on the floor and stretched her crossed legs out in font of her, wriggling her toes.

"My feet keep falling asleep," she frowned, unconsciously rubbing her tummy with a hand. "And Legendaries don't get me started on how many times I need to pee in the day now."

I had to smirk. "And to think, this is only the beginning."

She cast me a glare and I knew in her mind she secretly blamed me for her current situation. She still had to realise, it takes two to tango.

"So, do you have any idea how this could have happened?" I asked the thought that sat in the back of my mind for the past day now.

Kair looked away, her fingers playing with the tassels of her blanket. "I wouldn't exactly call myself as attentive to certain preventative measure as I probably should have been."

Why did that not surprise me? With the amount of times we'd lost control of ourselves and simply forgotten to use protection, it was any wonder at all she hadn't fallen pregnant sooner.

"Sneaking around behind my father's back isn't easy. I had to find someone not affiliated with Team Rocket to provide me with my contraception. That means going out of the city. So as you can imagine, with my schedule, that journey is one I don't get to undertake often," she chortled, "I guess with all the time you spend on assignment, I figured I could lay off taking it and conserve what I had."

"Didn't exactly go according to plan, huh."

"Nope."

"And you're still sure you want to have these babies?"

Her expression said it all. She'd seen something that'd made her too afraid to act in any other way. "Yes." She nodded.

Her eyes fell on me as if to search me for support. If I refused, she realised that she would have to go elsewhere and keep running. Neither of use knew what would become of her then. But I too had to realise… it takes two to tango.

"You don't need to worry," I reassured. "This is my responsibility too. I'll be here for you."

A smile of relief slowly made its way across her face. "Thanks." Her normally cocky countenance fell, only to show her lesser known softer side. "It means a lot to me, Lance."

Pulling her legs into herself, she made a point of hugging them and rested her chin on her knees. "I guess, I never really expected things would turn out this way, you know. I never worked this factor into the equation."

I smirked, "truth be known, neither did I."

Glimpsing the clock on the wall, I soon noticed the evening was drawing along, though neither of us was tired. An air of awkwardness seemed to prevail between the two of us. Before, we always had the thrill of the prospect of being caught by Team Rocket every time we visited each other. It defined our relationship as one being based upon this sense of danger. Now though, it was only us in this lonely place. We both had to realise the nature of our relationship was changing. I was no longer in a position where I could end it and walk away. But then again, the more I thought on it, the more I realised I was never in that position in the first place… not since the first night we spent together in Goldenrod.

There was just something about her that kept me coming back. She was an untamed spirit, strong willed and independent. And yet there was softness to her - a strong sense of humanity that her father never had. I could even see it in the way she treated her Pokémon. They obeyed her not out of fear but out of respect. And now that I had her with me, there would be no stopping me from at least attempting to instil in her other values that I knew Aisha would have wanted to teach her. Values like compassion and most importantly, love. I would teach her to love just as I had grown to love her.

The quiet chuckle that escaped her lips snapped me from my thoughts and she cast me an amused grin, and I realised right then that several minutes had passed and neither of us had spoken. "Look at us, we're like a couple of shy school kids in the lunch yard," Kair scoffed.

I snorted in reply, "Sorry, I was just… thinking."

"I know," she mused. "You had that distant look in your eyes that happens when you get lost in your own head. I prefer to call it a death stare."

My eyebrow rose, "death stare?"

Kair nodded. "You look like you could slice people in half with it. It's actually quite enticing." Her eyebrow rose to match my expression, her lip curling with a hint of playfulness. In attempt to settle the air of unease, she was quickly reverting back to her confident self.

I found myself caught unaware when she got to her knees and carefully crawled over to my corner of the rug. I allowed her to settle on my lap. Resting her elbows on my shoulders, she ran her hands through my messy, windblown hair. There was a familiar glint in her eye.

"Wh- what about your… situation?" for some reason I gawked at her stupidly.

"I'm pregnant, not dead, Lance," Kair chuckled in reply, making a point of resting her strawberry flavoured lips on mine, and therefore thwarting any further argument on my part.

My hands that held her at the hips very quickly slipped under her top, my fingers gently tracing the familiar scar on her side before moving up her back where there I held her and plunged my mouth into hers.

Kair's fingers curled around the bottom of my tunic before in a single motion she broke from the kiss and pulled it over my head. Following suit, I did the same with her clothing so that there was nothing that came between us. The warm touch of her bare skin and her breath on my cheek sent tingles through me as she lent her body into mine, resuming her kisses with force.

She didn't fight me as I gently guided her back to the rug. Careful so as not to crush the precious secret she kept in her belly, I trailed my kisses down her neck and breasts slowly with leisured expertise and sending goosebumps across her soft, white skin. A muffled gasp escaped her lips and I felt her fingers that clawed through my hair. The muscles in her legs that held me at the hips tensed as, grabbing me by the hands, she pressed herself into me and twisted me on my back.

Holding my arms above my head, she straddled me and made wet patterns with her lips down my torso. Unable to resist, I heaved a loud moan as she approached the fire that burned in my loins and caressed it gently.

She was a temptress bent on devouring me whole. The psychical world and everything in it had no bearing on us in this invisible universe that we created. Here, there was nothing else but our bodies and our hearts which we gave without restraint. Then as we settled into the afterglow of the evening and we lay side by side, facing one another in the light of the fireplace, she placed her hands on my chest in a gesture of trust. The beads of sweat on her forehead and her eyes - two pools of brown that gazed up at me - glinted in the evening.

"Lance," she whispered. "I love you."

* * *

_Sweet disposition_

_Never too soon_

_Oh, reckless abandon_

_Like no one's watching you…_

_-The Temper Trap_


	5. The Holy Lands

**The ****Holy Lands**

"What are you looking at?" I peered over Kair's shoulder as she carefully leafed through an old picture book. It was a children's book, telling the story of a legendary Master and his battle with an unknown Dragon that threatened Blackthorn city many generations ago. As was everything else in the temple library, it was written in dragon script.

"I had this book as a child." She smiled to herself. "I had difficultly reading the script but I would look at the pictures before going to sleep. Then I turned five and Sa'lu took away my picture books."

"A little… restrictive."

"Yes, well I didn't have time for fantasy when I had training to do," Kair replied as-a-matter-of-factly as she gently ran a finger through the centre page. The paper was dog-eared and well worn, but the picture of the Dragon Master was still very clear. With his Dragonite to his side, he stood tall and valiant, holding in his hand a fang. He wore a tunic not unlike what many Dragon Trainers today wore, and his long, red hair waved wildly about his head. Steely, silver eyes watched us from the page as if to validate in our minds that his story ran true.

Kair gently closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.

"I see you've already acquainted yourself with the library," a voice piped from behind and we spun to meet my mother who entered in through the large, double doors. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kair. My name is Elaine. I hear you'll be around for a little while."

Kair made an attempt at matching her smile, though her stare was careful and calculated. "It's nice to meet you too, Elaine."

Small chatter aside, the library was eerily quiet as I watched the women size one another up before my mother went back to sorting through books and stacking them on shelves as was her job here in the temple.

"I'm the head Librarian here, I knew your mother very well in fact."

"Oh?" Kair inclined her head. "Before she went to live with Sa'lu?"

My mother nodded. "Even while she was married to your father she would often frequent this place. She came here to study as a part of her research."

"Research?"

"Yes, she was a Dragon Soother. A caretaker of young, orphaned Dragons. She was a beautiful, peaceful woman who couldn't hurt a soul," her eyes became downcast. "So I was surprised to hear what happened to her." Her utterance implied that she didn't quite believe the stories of Aisha having killed herself.

Kair's expression dropped and she took a moment to watch the ground at her feet. "Well she did write it in her journal."

Taking it as a sour topic, my mother chose to let it drop and instead disappeared behind several shelves before coming back with a handful of dusty old books. "This is all of your mother's research," she placed the books gently into Kair's hands. "Since you're going to be with us a while, you might as well get to know her as I knew her."

"It's all in Dragon script. I don't know how to read it."

My mother's smile turned in my direction. "That's what you have my son for. He will teach you."

* * *

"Your mother is… interesting," Kair gave me a sideway's glance.

The balcony was long and weaved its way around the mountain face, giving us a breathtaking view of the range that endlessly stretched out before us. The afternoon sun was warm and inviting, drawing us out of the dark confides of the temple. A cool breeze ruffled through my cape, causing it to flap lightly as I walked.

"Yes, I know," I nodded in agreement. "She's very skilled in the art of reading people. It can make her seem… intimidating to those who don't know her very well."

Kair's head fell into a silent nod as she contemplated. Her hand touched her stomach and she gave it a gentle rub. Stopping at the rail, we took the time to gaze out over our surroundings. Below us were the tiny dots that made up Blackthorn City.

"Why do I get the feeling, that when it comes to my mother's life, I've only just scratched the surface?"

"Probably because it's true," I replied. "You've only heard one side of the story, and that came from your father."

She heaved a sigh, leaning back on the rail and faced me. Grabbing her by the hip, I lent my body into hers and watched her eyes as they studied me. Her solemn front wasn't one she put up very often.

"Come on," I whispered, pulling a pokéball from my belt. "Call your Charizard, let's get out of here."

"And go where?" Kair's eyebrow rose as she implied that we were in the middle of nowhere.

I smirked. "I know a place."

Dragonite came out of her ball and was soon after followed by Kair's Charizard. Blinking in the afternoon sun, they lazily landed on the balcony in front of us and heaved simultaneous sleepy yawns. Mounting our beasts, we took off from the balcony, my Dragonite taking the lead through the winding mountain pass.

We flew on in silence for at least a half hour, feeling the rush of wind through our clothes and hair. Dodging and weaving in amongst large boulders and narrowing passes, it didn't take long for our Pokémon to make a game out of it.

"Woohoo!" I heard a yelp from behind as Kair and her Charizard darted between two rock pillars.

I grinned in her general direction before giving my Dragonite a pat on the head. "Come on Dragonite, let's give them a run for their money!"

My Dragon grunted in response and all at once we took off at top speed, Kair's Charizard suddenly finding himself struggling to keep up. We made our way around several bends before soon enough we entered into a territory seldom visited by Humans.

Signalling for my Dragonite to slow down and allow Kair to catch up, I watched the body language of her Charizard change. He became quiet and cautious, knowing that this place we'd just crossed into was protected.

Below us, the mountains soon gave way to a brilliant valley filled with beautiful greenery and flowers in full bloom, even in spite of the season. A large river lazily stretched out through the middle of the valley, its water so clear that we could see Dratini and several water-type Pokémon swimming about in it.

"Wow," I heard Kair breathe, taking it all in "What is this place?"

"The Dragon Holy Lands. Home to the Dragons of Kanto and Johto," I replied.

"It's… beautiful. How are these flowers…?"

"Still in bloom?" I finished, pulling up beside her so that we flew together. "We don't know, but they bloom all year around. Legend states that the health of the flowers is an indicator of the health of the Dragons who reside here. The Dragons tend to this place like a garden, looking after the various Pokémon that chose to live here with them."

"And this is home to you?"

I chuckled, signalling to Kair's Charizard to pan left and follow Dragonite's lead. "Its home to Dragonite."

Dragonite made her way over to the valley wall where eventually a rocky outcrop with a nest came into view. It was there that she landed, allowing me off her back and onto the ledge. Kair followed suite and we stood, gazing out over the valley floor.

"It's really… beautiful."

I nodded. "It's a hidden place. Only the strongest of Dragon trainers come here."

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"Because it was where your mother spent most of her time."

I had Kair's full attention now. "My mother came here? I was just about to say my father would kill to get his hands on some of these Dragons."

"I know," I uttered flatly. "It's fortunate that his loyalties still lie with your mother."

"So he knows about it?"

"Yes. But he has chosen not to touch it."

A half smirk appeared on Kair's face. "So he does have a heart after all."

"That's still up for debate."

Kair chortled knowingly and she unwittingly ran a finger down the cut on her face. "So you brought me here to teach me about my Dragonchild roots."

I gave her a shrug before spinning on the spot and facing the nest which Dragonite had since made herself comfortable in. Asking for her permission to approach, I carefully stepped into the giant bowl made of twigs and leaves.

"I should have suspected something was up with you earlier," I spoke to Kair over my shoulder as I took to digging through the foliage until I found what I was looking for.

Kair followed my gaze to the two, large dragon eggs. "Your Dragon is going to be a mother?"

"Mmhmm," I nodded. "Generally, Dragonites will go into breeding every ten years or when their master happens to…"

"Knock someone up," Kair finished for me and I chuckled.

"Perhaps not so harsh a term but yes."

Kair carefully stepped into the nest and knelt, placing a gentle hand on one of the eggs. The first thing she would have noticed was that they were warm, even in spite of the cool of the afternoon shade.

"How old are they?" she asked.

Kneeling down beside her, I copied her actions and ran a hand over the bumpy, rough surfaces of the eggs. "About three months."

She nodded. "How much longer will they gestate for?"

"Probably another five or six months."

"So the same as a Human," she mused. "Who's the daddy Dragon?"

We both stole a glance with Dragonite and she briefly signalled to a dark, shadowy figure in the sky. There, a wild Dragonite hovered overhead, watching us carefully from on high. He kept himself at a safe distance.

"What will happen to the babies when they hatch?" asked Kair, her eyes now wide with inquiry.

"I'll retire Dragonite for a little while so that she can care for them. It may surprise you to realise that in their native environment, Dragonites suckle their young. Then once they are weaned, Dragonite will choose whether she wants to offer them up for training at my hands, or if she would prefer them to remain here in the wild."

I watched Kair's expression as she took in this influx of information. "… so…the best time to challenge you for your position of Champion is when Dragonite is retired." She cast me a cheeky grin.

"Ha!" I scoffed, "Don't expect to win. Dragonite isn't my only powerful Pokémon, you know."

Kair smirked, her hand shifting from the egg to my own hand. This she grabbed and placed on her belly. I felt the hardness beneath my fingertips, the only thing that separated me from my unborn children.

"So, since you can 'hear them', do you happen to know what we're having?" I asked.

She nodded. "A boy and a girl."

"One of each," I was suddenly nervous… suddenly not ready to take on such a big responsibility.

"The boy has… an ability. Like mine," Kair continued and right then time seemed to stand still.

"Wh… what?" I fumbled over my own words.

"He is a psychic. In many ways, he is like his father- feeling and passionate, and in other ways like me – headstrong."

"How can you possibly know these things?" I frowned. "The babies aren't even fully developed yet."

"They're developed enough," Kair argued. "Everything I think, the boy hears. He is learning so fast… too fast."

"…and that is a problem?" I wasn't sure what she was getting at, but I could see something bothered her.

Kair heaved a sigh and bit her lip. "I'm worried, Lance."

"That I gathered. What are you worried about?"

"It's Sa'lu. I have a feeling that once she learns of…" she gestured to herself, "this, she will try to take him. I know how she thinks - she wants a legacy. I was a disappointment, but this child… he is… different."

I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. It was as though I'd stepped back in time and now knelt before Aisha… Kair's mother.

"You think he will bring about a change, don't you?"

Kair's eyes immediately furrowed and she glared at me. "How…? How did you know?"

My head fell into a nod and I licked my lips. "Its something I read in your mother's journal. I didn't tell you about it because it was beyond your depth. But she spoke in a similar fashion."

I watched Kair examine me, her eyes searching for answers that I couldn't provide her just yet.

"Look, for the moment our main worry is to ensure your safety. Until the twins are born, I want you to stay in the mountains with me. We'll make preparations for their arrival and… make sure nothing happens to them."

She wasn't satisfied with my answer, but she could tell from the finality of my statement that this was all she was going to get from me for the moment. I soon felt the pressure as she attempted to use her powers to probe my mind, but with my dark ability I blocked her and pushed her probing away.

"Just… be patient Kair," getting back to my feet, I pulled her up with me. "I just need the time to figure it all out."

* * *

**Author's Note: **So sorry about the lateness of this chapter. I've had a lot going on here! (including moving, going away and starting a new job).

The real action will start very soon!


	6. Kings and Sages

**Kings and Sages**

**Four Months later**

_The great ceremony hall was full of yellow and orange light that streamed in through stained glass windows. It was unusually warm despite the vastness of the chamber and its cold, stone floor and walls. Perhaps it was all the bodies. Figures dressed in formal, medieval inspired attire stood in carefully arranged lines, observing the ceremony in silence. _

_All eyes watched the youth in official garb who carefully sat in a chair twice the size of his scrawny body. A golden crown precariously balanced on his bushel of tea-green hair. He was perhaps fifteen or twenty, legendaries knew, Sa'lu had long forgotten his age. _

"_Let me present to you our future…. Our King." The man who stood to his side, an older version of the boy, announced to the audience and in turn, the boy stood up, his arm rising and figuratively accepting his new role as regent king. _

_At that moment everyone in the room dropped into a simultaneous bow, silently pledging their allegiances to their new leader. _

_Sa'lu chose to keep to the shadows of a looming pillar, her body straight and rigid and her arms crossed. She stood by, watching as the ceremony drew to a conclusion and speeches of change and cries of congratulations were given. Then one by one the audience filed out, leaving only the King and his sages in the room. _

_The 'so called' head sage noticed Sa'lu and nodded a silent greeting, gesturing for her to follow him and together they entered into a small chamber off the main hall. _

"_Close the door behind you, will you?" Ghetsis tugged the official, castle inspired cloak over his head and heaved a weary sigh. _

_Careful so as not to crease it, he hung it from a coat stand before rounding his desk and sunk into a wooden chair. _

"_You can sit, half-sister," he muttered beneath his breath and gestured her to a similar looking chair._

"_I'd prefer to stand," the silver haired woman stated bluntly. _

"_Fair enough," Ghetsis leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingers together, the serene look of a sage dropping to make way for the lesser known authoritarian – even despite being twenty years her junior._

"_So… what do you think?" he spread his hands wide to indicate his domain._

"_Charming little place," his half-sister replied flatly, "And the ceremony was simply… touching." Her face was straight, as though to be chiselled out of stone. _

_But Ghetsis only chuckled. "To bring in a new order, the formalities were… necessary. With my son operating as Team Plasma's head, it will give me the chance I need to focus on my plans."_

"_And does your son know what he wants to do with this organisation he has just inherited?" the tone of Sa'lu's voice made it clear that she didn't approve of her brother's actions. Giving up the leadership, in her eyes, was a sign of lax._

_The sage frowned, "You know I really wish you would sit."_

_Sa'lu's eyebrow rose in reply. _

"_After all, I am doing this for us, sister," he continued._

"_Yes, you always have been the people person," she replied with a hint of indifference. "What is it that you want, Ghetsis?"_

_Ghetsis paused to gather his thoughts before uttering a sigh, "It seems my son isn't as ready as I hoped he would be to play his role."_

"_Is that perhaps because you failed to socialise him?"_

_He cast his sister an angry scowl. "You and I both know what he is. If the Dragon clan ever got wind…"_

"_I know," Sa'lu cut him off and heaved an exasperated huff._

"…_which is more than what I can say for your daughter."_

_As was to be expected, he struck a nerve and the woman slammed a fist on his table. "Ghetsis, do you want me to walk out?"_

"_No," he backed and stated, his tone going soft. "I want you to train my son to become a leader."_

"_He's too old." _

"_But he's had no experience in the outside world. He knows only what I have intended him to know. His mind… is still mouldable."_

_Sa'lu cast him a sigh, rubbing the rim of her nose. "I don't approve of this plan of yours, Ghetsis. Entrusting an entire organisation to a mere boy."_

"_You give me what I want and in return, I will ensure that your needs are met."_

"_I already have plans," Sa'lu scoffed. "Besides, what makes you think I'm not capable of accomplishing that on my own?"_

_Ghetsis smirked, his expression going cold. From his drawer he found a photo and threw it onto the desk. It landed neatly in front of Sa'lu's rigid stance. It was a photo of a very obviously pregnant blue/brown haired woman and her red headed companion._

"_Because you're like me, it's all about the legacy."_

_

* * *

_

The chilly December breeze felt good on my face. The morning, ocean mist bringing me refreshment as I heaved another strained breath, desperate not to break my concentration.

Sweat dripped down my brow and my body felt numb from the constant exercise.

"He's beginning to break Umbreon! Keep going!" Her holler sounded aloud across the beach. "Assurance."

I watched the little Pokémon come at me with the force of a storm, zig-zagging across the sand. Reeling on the spot, I flared my cape, my unexpected movement confusing it and causing it to miss its target. There I turned its own charge against it in the form of a Dark Pulse.

The Umbreon howled as it staggered backward across the beach, taking its strongest hit yet.

"Nice shot, Dragon Master!" The Umbreon's trainer stood by. With her hands on her hips and a smirk wide across her face, Karen of the elite four watched me.

"Thanks… I guess." I heaved up a breath, the muscles in my legs burning from a mix of the battle and the struggle to keep me balanced in the sand.

It didn't take long for Karen's Umbreon to pull itself to its feet and shake off my last attack. It faced me again from across our makeshift battle arena.

"It's a pity you're only limited to learning specialised Dark Type moves, Lance!"

"Mmhmm," I muttered, trying in vain to block out her constant babble. Why the woman always insisted on talking through battles was beyond me. She wasn't nearly this noisy when we battled in the League.

"Umbreon! Confuse Ray!"

"What?" I stopped suddenly and bellowed at the top of my lungs. "That's not a dar-"

Her loud, ruckus laughter sounded over my protest and I soon found myself having to ward off the little dark devil's attack.

"Oh geeze, Karen!"

The Umbreon unleased a purple ball of sparkling energy that quickly hurtled in my direction. I had two options, take the attack head on or throw myself into a counterattack. I opted for the latter. Summoning every remaining ounce of my energy, I vanished into a Faint Attack just as Umbreon's Confuse Ray hit the ground where I once stood and dissolved.

For a moment the Umbreon stood, never moving until I appeared in front of it and… stopped. The Umbreon blinked once… twice… and then unleashed a Tackle that sent me tumbling onto my back.

"What was that?" Karen exploded and I lay there wheezing, struggling to force air back into my lungs. "You missed a Faint Attack? How is that even possible? Faint Attacks don't miss!"

Her shadow approached and she stopped, standing over me and staring down at my pathetic form in the sand.

"I didn't miss. I just… couldn't finish the attack."

"Again with the psychical contact," she heaved a dissatisfied grunt, extending a hand and helping me to my feet. "How is that any different to an attack that doesn't require you to physically touch the Pokémon?"

I wiped my sweaty brow with the back of a sandy arm. "I don't know. I guess I just… don't like the idea of…"

"I know… I know. Its always a battle of abilities with you isn't it? Even in the league. You conjure these rules in your head that make sense to no one but you." She gave me the roll of her eyes and signalled to her Umbreon that the battle was over and it was free to leave. "Come on, I'll get you something to drink."

Making our way up the beach, we approached a cabin that sat located on the outskirts of the main town on Cianwood Island – Karen's home away from the League. Though what was more commonly known as a sunny holiday destination this morning was nothing more than a dreary, cold beachfront.

"Take a seat," Karen directed me to a stool at the kitchen bench that looked as though it'd been crafted from driftwood. She poured me a glass of water. "So, no Kair today?"

"No, not today. She needs the rest." I accepted the water and finished it in several gulps.

Karen gave me a knowing look. "If these kids are anything at all like you, I can imagine Kair must be having the time of her life carrying them," she said sarcastically.

I chortled in reply, "Especially as one of them is a psychic like Kair."

"Oh? You mean these abilities are hereditary?"

"Yes," I nodded hesitantly. "I had trouble believing it at first, but the more he grows, the more I can see they're in communication. Its just simple things for now - like sharing feelings. But it'll only be a matter of time before he learns other things…"

"And the girl? What about her? Do you think she could inherit your Dark ability?"

"No," I shook my head. "Kair fell pregnant before I took on this ability. As far as we can tell, she's a perfectly healthy, normal baby girl."

"Well at least one of them is normal," Karen snickered.

I replied to her remark with a smirk, though I guess my worry was still evident on my face because she soon took on a more serious front.

"You're concerned that the boy will end up too strong aren't you?"

"I suppose you could say that."

Karen gave me a nod before she unexpectedly excused herself and disappeared into the next room, only to reappear a few moments later carrying a Pokéball in her hand. I pulled myself to my feet just as she released its inhabitant.

A young Sneasal formed on the kitchen floor. Standing as a biped, the little brown furred Pokémon carefully watched us. It can't have been older than a few months.

"He's only just been weaned so he hasn't received any form of training yet." Karen explained before she placed the ball on the bench in front of me. "But I'm sure you'll have no trouble teaching him to keep your son's abilities in check."


	7. Servitude

**Servitude **

The island Pokémon Centre was unusually quiet. But then again, so was most of Cianwood at this time of the year. I lent on the main counter and drummed my fingers on a clipboard that contained several 'legal' documents and my signature. A Chansey wandered in and out of the emergency room, bringing with it several bags of garbage and cleaning utensils. It offered me a quiet greeting before getting back to its job.

"Master Lance, here are the Pokémon," Nurse Joy arrived from the back room, carrying in her hands a tray containing four pokéballs. "Ready to be transferred to the safari zone. We tracked down the trainers who abandoned them and I believe the PGM are in the process of revoking their trainer's licences."

"Excellent," I nodded, taking the balls and clipping them to my belt. As a Pokémon League official and a member of the PGM, I was entitled to carry around more than six Pokémon for the purpose of rescue, transport and re-homing.

I handed over my clipboard and she took up a pen, signing her name '_Catherine Joy'_ underneath mine. Then bidding her farewell, I left the Pokémon Centre.

The afternoon was just as chilly as the morning had been and I took to pulling my cape tighter over my shoulders as I walked. Being a small, tight nit community, the locals were very well aware of my presence but were polite enough to keep their distance and allow me to get about my business. One of the consequences of being a Pokémon Champion was that I generally had to put up with fans approaching me.

Making my way across the beachside town, I headed further inland until I approached a rocky wall that stretched high above me. Etched into the wall was a small foot cavern that trailed the height of the cliff and would eventually lead me to the top where the entrance of the Cianwood Safari Zone was located. Sparsely lit with old fashioned torches imbedded in the walls, the strong smell of dampness mixed with salty, ocean spray seemed to permeate through the cavern.

The trail seemed to zig-zag in and out of the cliff, giving travellers a sense of exploring foreign and unknown territories. Keeping my head low and my pokéballs hidden, I made sure to avoid the occasional trainer that passed me by, not so much worried about getting into a battle, but rather the end result they would have to face against the likes of my Dragons.

I soon became aware of the two figures that followed me at a distance but took no notice. This was a narrow trail after all. It was only when I managed to catch a fraction of their hushed conversation that I realised who they were.

"Is that the guy we're looking for?" A woman with long, orange pigtails spoke to her companion in a hushed whisper.

"I think so. Can't you tell by the read hair?" replied her companion, a much taller man with green hair that loosely hung over his eyes.

Both figures wore long trench coats.

I kept walking, keeping my head low and speeding up my pace to get around a large bend. Yes… I knew exactly who they were. It was only a matter of time before they caught up with me.

I heard the woman yelp from behind as she suddenly realised that I was disappearing from their line of sight. She grabbed her companion by the arm and the two raced on ahead… only to realise that I was gone. She and her companion cursed out loud and hurried on through the passage.

Once I was sure they were gone, I pulled myself from hiding in the shadows of a small crevice in the wall, frowning and cursing no one but myself for having gotten so slack. They were from Team Rocket, which meant that contrary to what the PGM had reported back to me in the past few months, Giovanni was still very adamant on locating us.

This proved to be a problem to me. Due to the cooler weather setting in through the mountains, I'd since moved Kair back to my estate. And it was there that she currently resided while I did my rounds of Johto. Had her father already gotten to her? I hadn't spoken to her since yesterday.

A wave of panic suddenly set in and I quickly burst into a bolt back down the passage. I didn't even see the huge, dark figure step out in front of me, nor the swing of his colossal fist that made contact with my face…

* * *

_The young man landed on the gym floor with a thud. Wheezing, he choked in attempt to force air back into his lungs and cast a glare at the woman responsible for his downfall. _

"_Get up!" the woman in question scowled in return, offering him a low toned growl. "You are as useless as your good-for-nothing father!"_

_Pulling himself into a crouching position, he watched the floor by his feet, heaving and counting backwards from ten to one in his mind just as his tutors had taught him. "Why are you doing this to me?" his voice was shallow and confused. "Do you not know who I am?" Even in spite of the rage that continued to billow inside of him, he still chose to remain poised. _

"_Right now, you are a nothing more than a pathetic laggard. Now get up and repeat the exercise, and don't stop until you get it right."_

_Pulling long hung strands of tea-green hair behind his ears, the young man got to his feet to face this woman who dared call herself his 'aunt'. Standing at least a foot taller than her, his lean body seemed to tower over the old Shadow Dragon Master. "I am not doing this any longer. You are cold and heartless. Your ethics are less than to be desired."_

_Sa'lu blinked in response, placing her hands on her hips she gave him the dangerous rise of an eyebrow. "You dare judge me and my training ethics? Boy, you are meddling with the wrong woman. You have no idea what I am capable of."_

"_I have some idea," he alluded to the black pokéballs that sat strapped to her belt. "You are a Dragon Master after all." _

"_That I am."_

"_And yet I have never seen your Dragons," the boy continued. "Since I have been here, you have not once released them from their pokéballs. Are they really doomed to spend the remainder of their existence in such servitude?"_

"_For as long as I deem them useful anyway," Sa'lu replied with an indifferent sniff. "That is the key to your leadership; make no one in your organisation indispensable. Subjects, agents, Pokémon, they all serve their purpose and that is to serve you, their king," her last word came out as a leer._

_The young man seemed unfazed however. His mind still fixated on Sa'lu's Pokémon, he watched her belt with a careful eye. "What say you let them out and at least let them chose for themselves whom they want to follow? You or freedom?"_

_A dangerous smile slowly made its way across Sa'lu's face. "Alright," she said with a hint of menace. "I'll let my Dragons decide."_

_Grabbing two balls in a single hand, she released their inhabitants in two beams of black. The dragons formed on the floor between them - a Garchomp and a Haxorus. The hammer-headed Dragon and his Unova-native companion stood motionless, dead eyes gazing into nothingness _

_The boy couldn't help but stagger backwards over his own two feet, heaving a loud gasp, "Their voices… they… have no voice!"_

_Sa'lu on the other hand seemed intrigued by his reaction. "So it is true," she whispered in an undertone. "You do have the gift."_

"_You did this? You destroyed their voices? Their own free will?"_

_Sa'lu was unfazed by his accusations. "Yes. They serve me better this way. Single minded."_

"_If you expect me train Pokémon in the same manner, then I'm afraid you have set yourself up for disappointment."_

_Sa'lu said nothing. Instead she simply waved a hand in the direction of the boy, and simultaneously her Dragons seemed to come to life. Eyes locked onto the scrawny Human and tracing his every step backwards, they fell into a slow slink around him, eventually trapping him up against a wall. The breath of monsters blew across his face and ruffled his messy hair, teeth dripping with Dragon saliva only inches from his head. _

_Pinned between the Dragons and the cold, stone wall of the gym, the boy let out a loud cry only to be drowned out by Sa'lu's bellow, "Lesson one! As Team Plasma's leader, you will need to use Pokémon, even if it is simply to defend yourself against evil-doers like me. Those Dragons won't hesitate to kill you. Do you understand, Natural?" _

"_I understand!"_

_Satisfied, Sa'lu recalled her Pokémon and stood by, watching as the boy slid to the floor in a crumpled heap. He heaved a breath, wiping Dragon salvia from his cheeks. Then he gazed up at her, his glare seething with hatred for the woman. "The name is N."_


	8. Meeting of the Masters

**Meeting of the Masters**

_A fresh blanket of snow covered Blackthorn city, giving it an almost holy aura as it sat nestled in the mountains. A continuos column of steam rose high above the peaks that shaded the Dragon Holy Lands from the rest of civilisation. Made up of numerous hot springs, it was a warm retreat for its inhabitants the Dragons who didn't much appreciate the icy cold of winter. _

_The Blackthorn gym stood apart from the remainder of the city, a long standing testament to the bond formed between Dragon and Human. Unlike the city outside, the gym was warm and humid, causing Kair to shift uncomfortably on her feet. Hell, nothing made her comfortable anymore! Not while she found herself in this state. It had been a difficult few months for someone so used to being active on her feet all the time. Now she could barely walk ten paces before she found herself struggling for breath. She hated to admit it, but she was huge._

"_Its good to see you're doing well, Kair. Welcome back to the Dragon Clan," The gym's leader watched her with a curious stare. Her recollection of their first meeting several year prior was vague at best. But she was very well aware of who Kair was._

_Kair nodded her thanks and stepped aside to allow for her travelling companion, Elaine, to take over the conversation. The woman had come to save Kair from the depths of boredom as she found herself stuck alone on Lance's estate while he travelled the region. _

_Elaine had spent much time with her in the past several months, becoming as a sort of surrogate mother for Kair while she prepared for the changes that were yet to befall her. _

"_So what's news from the Dragon Clan, Aunt Elaine?" _

_Kair wasn't a fan of the small talk that ensued, especially while the mixture of heat and _

_humidity of the gym caused her to feel suffocated. Excusing herself from the conversation, she decided to step out for some fresh air…_

_The woman was oblivious to the dark car with tinted windows that watched her from across the street, or its most important inhabitant, her father, who scowled at two of his agents through the video conversation on his phone. _

"_Sir, we lost the target. It's like he simply vanished into thin air," the woman with orange pigtails hung her head as did her companion. "We… we're sorry."_

"_You know I don't take to failure very well, Cassidy," Giovanni growled, though he had to expect the Dragon master would be on his toes. His capture attempt had been a long shot at best. "I don't care how you do it, you find that Dragon Master!"_

_He ended the conversation by throwing his phone across the car and digging his hands through his hair for a moment, before finally the call of his driver grabbed his attention. _

"_Sir, we have a visual on your daughter. Shall we engage?"_

_Giovanni's head came up to spot the woman who stood just outside the front door of the gym, taking in the chill of the winter afternoon. Brown hair waved lightly in the breeze and her gaze seemed focused on the ground as she rubbed a visibly pregnant stomach. _

_Legendaries, she looked just like her mother…Giovanni found himself taken aback, but quickly chose to push such thoughts away and nodded. "Proceed as planned."_

"_Yes sir," the diver gave him a steely nod before he stepped from the car and approached the gym with a careful tread. His trenchcoat hid many of his features, including the Team Rocket uniform he wore underneath it, though it was still evident who he represented. _

_Giovanni watched him approach the woman from behind, whispering something in her ear and pressing what she perceived to be a hidden firearm into her back. The woman's head immediately shot up as she listened with intent to the demand Giovanni's driver placed on her before she turned to glimpse the car. She swallowed, looking this way and that before she nodded and even in spite of her power, chose to follow him. _

_They approached the car together and the driver held the door open to her. Kair carefully placed herself down into the car seat next to her father. The two said nothing as the car pulled away, merely spending moments to take one another into their sights. Giovanni's daughter shifted uncomfortably in her seat, taking to rubbing her tummy as seemed to be the habit of pregnant women. _

"_It's good to see you're keeping well, Aisha," Giovanni finally broke the silence._

_The woman gave him a brief nod, choosing to keep her gaze down and focused on the driver. "What do you want?"_

_Giovanni sucked in air through his nostrils before heaving a long-winded sigh. "I want to ensure the safety of my heritage," he stated bluntly. "I want to offer you the best medial care money can buy. Giving birth to twins… won't be easy."_

_So he knew… _

_Kair forced down a swallow. He'd been keeping tabs on her. "Why the sudden change of heart?"_

"_I still consider Lance an enemy to this organisation. But it seems… the Dragon Clan is in your blood. Your mother would have been very proud of your paring."_

_It was like the pressure of a great burden had been taken off her shoulders and Kair suddenly found herself relieved. She turned to face her father now, speaking to him as his daughter and not an enemy. "I've decided to have the twins at the Dragon temple… but… I also need your help…"_

_The Crime Lord's eyebrow rose._

"_The boy. He is special… like me. He is a psychic."_

"_The abilities have become inherent?" He took a moment further to process the information. "And the girl?"_

"_She is normal as far as I can tell."_

_Giovanni's head fell into a nod. "While I have you then, I want you examined by my medical staff to ensure your health. Do you understand?"_

_Kair realised she really didn't have a choice in the matter. But she wasn't interested in fighting him. She nodded. "I would appreciate that, father."_

* * *

I woke with a start, finding myself lying on my back and staring at an arched, stone ceiling. The bed I'd been placed in felt hard and the loud whistle of a draft blowing through the bottom of a doorway alerted me to the fact that I was located in a room of sorts… a room that looked strangely familiar.

Painfully pulling myself upright, a headache burned in my temples and when I went to rub my face I yelped when my hand brushed across my nose. Two large strips of medical tape held it in place. Whoever it was that had assaulted me had broken my nose!

But that seemed to be the least of my worries right then as I gathered my bearings and assessed my surroundings. I knew where I was… but the big question was what did she want with me?

There was only one way to find out…

Pulling myself from the sheets, it didn't take me long to notice that I'd been stripped of my clothing and dressed in a plain sleeping tunic and no trousers. The stone floor felt cold under my feet as I tiptoed over to a chair by the window and shoved my way into my clothes that had since been washed and freshly pressed. Stealing a glimpse outside, dark grey clouds hovered over the horizon and an icy ocean sluggishly lapped about the edges of the island castle. I was a long way from Johto.

I found my boots and belt, but the Pokéballs were missing. I cursed out loud, realising that any form of Pokémon assisted escape attempt had now been thwarted. I was going to have to hang around and play whatever game she had in store for me until I could get my Pokémon back.

I made my way to the door only to be greeted by the deep howl of a breeze that rattled through the castle hallways. It was dark but I knew this place like the back of my hand - even though I hadn't step foot into it for many years now. But then again, it was hard to forget the eventful months I'd spent here that had, in effect, changed my life. It was a foolish decision to have come here and trained in the Shadow arts with Sa'lu… but yet I was never able to fully come to regret it.

A single, well lit chamber illuminated in the hallway's darkness and I approached what I knew to be Sa'lu private office. The door was open and I could hear the low murmur of voices. One belonged to the old Shadow Dragon Master and the other I recognised but wasn't able to recall until I saw the man who stood with his arms behind his back in front of the fireplace. Standing as a tower against the flaming backdrop, he looked like a demon who had come up from the depths of hell. He was a mix of pure, human muscle and armour. A large helmet masked his features, though it was hard to deny who he was.

"You!" I hissed at the man who called himself the 'Ironed Masked Marauder'.

He too straightened, but a simple wave of Sa'lu's hand stopped him from potentially attacking me. I was now certain that my broken nose was the handy work of his oversized fist.

"Vicious, you are dismissed. I'll ensure your payment makes it into your account by the morning. Thank you for your services."

"Much appreciated, Madam," the Marauder gave her a nod before he brushed past me and left.

She waited until he disappeared down the hallway before addressing me, "I apologise for the inconvenience. It seems he has a certain grudge against you."

"That underground facility belonged to you?" I gave the old woman a scowl. "You funded the operation to have those pokéballs built!"

"Perhaps," the woman didn't seem very adamant on denying it. "But that is besides the matter. I had you brought here because I require your services."

"Pssh. I don't-"

"Now, now little Lance. You haven't heard me through," she cut me off. "I need you to cooperate because your life and the lives of your own unborn children may well depend on it."

I couldn't resist the urge to back up. "Sa'lu, leave Kair and the children out of this." I didn't need to ask her how she knew… the woman had eyes everywhere, including her supporters who still resided in the Dragon Clan itself.

"I will if you do as your told, young man," she watched me with a twisted smirk. Her elbows gently lent on the desk and she rested her chin on folded hands. "I have a very important student with me and I am currently tied up with other endeavours. So I find myself unable to properly train him."

"I'm not tapping into the Shadow Arts Sa'lu. You can forget it."

But the woman merely chuckled, amused that I would even consider bringing it up. "Why would I send someone as incapable of controlling the art as you, Lance?"

I shifted on my feet, uneasy. "Then what do you want with me?"

"I need you to train him to be a master, Lance. A master of Dragons."


	9. The Seer

**The Seer**

_The suite was luxurious and elegant. Royal purple and brown seemed to be the theme, giving it a rather regal feel. Kair sat in silence on a couch so soft she wondered how in the world she would manage to pull herself out of it. Resting after a long morning of tests and examinations, she seemed content on just remaining there. _

_Preferring to keep Kair close to the Dragon clan according to her wishes, Giovanni had booked out the entire hotel, which now found itself teaming with Team Rocket agents. He'd been strangely accommodating given their previous falling out… _

_The lounge area she now sat in was vast and partially devoid of furniture. Kair guessed it was to give the impression of space but it just looked wasted to her. A fireplace sat to her front holding in it a rolling fire and keeping her comfortable in this rested state. On top of its mantle was some sort of antique clock that indicated it was just after two in the afternoon. But it was the figure standing by the room's two double doors that interested Kair the most._

_Now stripped of his coat, the 'driver' wore a plain Team Rocket uniform, though its stripes denoted his high ranking in the clan. Wavy, dark blue hair hung down past his shoulders and a steely gaze stared at the emptiness before him. It was now quite evident to Kair he'd been assigned by her father to act as her 'handler'. She mentally scoffed at the idea, but in all retrospect, given her reputation, it was expected. _

"_So, handler, do they give you a name?" she spoke to him for the first time since their original encounter in front of the Blackthorn city gym. _

_For a moment, the handler chose not to speak, but eventually Kair's fixated gaze started to rattle him. She was like her father in that sense. _

"_Pierce," he said with a voice so sombre it sounded like it should have come from the mouth of a man twice his age. _

"_Pierce," Kair nodded, toying with the name on her tongue. "It's a good agent name. Does your mother call you that or did you think it up yourself?"_

_He chose not to respond. _

"_Well this is interesting," Kair flatly replied to his silence. "Why are you here anyway?"_

"_It is my duty to ensure that you're always kept within my sights."_

"_Right," Kair's tone didn't change. "You know if I wasn't so huge you'd have your work cut out for you."_

_But he merely smirked. "Don't underestimate me." _

* * *

"Axeeew," the young Dragon Pokémon hit the floor with a soft wail and fainted.

N's face was hollow as he watched the baby Pokémon which had been given to him by his master, Sa'lu.

"Good, but you're not concentrating," I recalled my son's Sneasal back into its ball. Apart from the Pokémon Nurse Joy had given me to assign to the safari zone on Cianwood Isl, it was the only weak member of my party. And it had just won its first battle - though its ice-type advantage was perhaps a little unfair on the boy's Dragon.

The boy from Unova withdrew his Axew and glimpsed the pokéball in his hand. There was a visibly troubled expression on his face - as though he found himself caught up in a struggle with his own ethics.

"What seems to be the trouble, N?" I wasn't sure why he chose to shorten his name to one letter.

The boy blinked away his thoughts and shook his head. "I guess… I just don't see the point in fighting them."

"Don't be put off by this. The Pokémon enjoy the battling, they see it as a way to get stronger," I filled. "Otherwise they wouldn't choose to stick with us as their trainers."

"The Axew was afraid. He didn't want to fight."

I found myself taken aback at this. He'd only received his first Dragon hours beforehand. He'd barely even begun to bond with it.

"This was its first battle, it was nervous. But with training it will learn how to properly handle itself and most importantly, you will learn how to properly handle it."

The boy sneered at this. "So it will become battle hardened. Is this what society is moulding Pokémon into these days? Turning them into tools of warfare?"

I knew where he was going. It was something I had struggled with often as a young trainer.

"Natural, Pokémon and Humans form a symbiotic relationship. We need each other; otherwise this world would cease to function."

"Or rather society as we know it," he countered. "It doesn't matter. Change is on the way."

For someone who had supposedly never trained Pokémon before, he was incredibly switched on. I couldn't help but feel this latest student of Sa'lu's was more than just a beginner Dragon trainer from Unova. "Who exactly are you?"

The boy gave me a gentle smile, his hazel eyes becoming serene and downcast. "You know, I'm still trying to figure that out." He went to say more but then stopped himself. Giving me a once over before figuring I could be trusted. "They say I have a gift."

My eyebrow rose. I'd been hearing that sentence too much lately. "Oh?"

N nodded. "It's a special ability. I don't know if it is a learned ability or of it was given to me. All I know is that I can… I suppose you could say 'read' Pokémon."

"You're in tune with them?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I can see what they see, feel what they feel. Happiness, hurt, suffering. I can hear their voices."

The way he spoke, it sounded like he had already been trained in the Shadow Arts. But he hadn't… Then it hit. "You… you're a Dragon Seer?"

The boy blinked, casting me a confused stare. "What?"

"Only elders in the Dragon Clan can be Seers, N. So again I ask, who are you?"

"He is my nephew," the voice interrupted us from behind.

I reeled on my feet to face the old Dragon Master who had since stepped into the gym.

"And if you know what's good for you, you will do well to not repeat these matters outside of these walls."

I was beyond shocked. Firstly Aisha and now N? This had to be more than a mere coincidence.

"Sa'lu, you can't keep a Seer away from the clan like this."

But the woman merely shrugged. "It's not my place to make that decision, Lance. That is left up to the boy's father and I am only following orders."

I snorted at this. "Since when have you been one to take orders, Sa'lu?"

She chuckled. "You have spirit young Champion. I can see why my granddaughter finds you so appealing." She then turned her attention to include her nephew. "I think that's enough Dragon training for today Natural."

* * *

The evenings in this place brought in an icy, ocean wind that would recklessly howl through the castle walls. The smells of salt and rotting wood permeated through the air and stung my nostrils. And I had to wonder how on earth Sa'lu could possibly tolerate living in this place. A single candle on the bedside table flickered in the darkness that seemed to engulf it. It gave me just enough light to be able to see the book in my hands, but yet left my feet in the dark.

There really wasn't much to do in this place except train and read - which was the point of the facility in the first place. Other than to feed and care for them, I still hadn't been given access to my own Dragons. In fact, the only Pokémon I had on my person was the young Sneasal Karen had given me. It sat curled up beside me just under the blankets and watched me with interest as I flicked the cracked and yellowing pages of my book.

I'd found it on a dusty old bookshelf across the room accompanied by other, just as mouldy books. It was the name 'Aisha' in a child's scrawl on the front page that had caught my interest. The story was a familiar Dragon legend, namely the story of the Light Dragon - a supposed guardian spirit that was sent to watch over the Dragon Clan. It was stories like this that I would someday be reading to my own son and daughter.

"Kair," the thought suddenly impacted. I hadn't spoken to her in days. Before Sa'lu had sent her goon after me… and my run in with Team Rocket…

"Shit!" I cursed, immediately leaping upright from the bed. Team Rocket! They were after me, meaning they were after Kair also! I had to expect the worst had happened by now and Giovanni had her.

Was she safe though? Surely he wouldn't do anything to harm her this late in the pregnancy. He had to have at least a shred of Humanity left in him. I needed to find out. Pulling myself from the bed and shoving my way back into my boots, I tore from my allocated bed chambers and made my way to Sa'lu's office.

She wasn't there. A lamp on her desk kept her workspace lit, and a cup of tea that had since gone cold patiently awaited her return. Several papers that lay scattered about the desk caught my attention. Rounding her office chair, I sided up to the old wooden desk for a closer inspection. They were charts and satellite images that mapped out Blackthorn city and the Dragon Holy Lands.

"What are you up to old woman?" I frowned but it was the loud bang of a door swinging shut that caused me to jump upright.

The loud clatter of footsteps hurried down the hallways and I took the chance to reel away from the desk to stand by the fireplace, pretending to be absorbed in a large, Dragonite coat of arms that hung on the wall above the mantle.

"Lance," Sa'lu appeared in the door of her office and offered me a stare of frustrated confusion. "What do you want?"

"I want to know that Kair is alright," I quickly reverted my mind back to the original purpose of my intrusion.

"Kair?" she gave me a confused stare. "Lance, I would rather refer to my granddaughter using the original name she was given."

"Aisha then," I growled and rolled my eyes. "Giovanni sent his goons after me, leaving me to assume that they were after her also. I want to know that she is safe."

"She is safe in the company of her father yes," Sa'lu confirmed, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief. "No harm will come to your children. But I have other pressing issues at hand. Natural has… run away." Her low toned hiss indicated that this hadn't been the first time the kid had attempted to defy her.

"You can't expect he'd get very far," I replied, glimpsing the darkness outside. "How did he even get off the island…" the thought hit me before I even finished my sentence, "He stole on of your dragons didn't he?"

"Psssh," Sa'lu leered. "My dragons wouldn't listen to him, no matter how much he forces his 'Pokémon whisperer' ability on them. He took your Dragonair."

"Son of a-!" I cursed.

The old woman's laughter echoed off the stone walls of her chamber. She pulled several pokéballs from her belt and tossed them in my direction. "Be a good boy and go fetch him for me."


	10. The Mist

**The Mist**

White ocean mist billowed over the waters and a freezing wind chilled me to the bone. Heaving a frozen breath, I hugged my body close to Kair's Charizard who emanated heat as he flew. The fire lizard was close to the brink of exhaustion but continued to push himself onward. In her pregnancy Kair had since been unable to give both her Pokémon the attention they needed, and so I'd since taken responsibility of Charizard for her.

I had no idea where I was, and in my mind, I cursed Sa'lu's nephew for his impulsive stupidity - and to the detriment of my Dragonair at that. I could only imagine the struggle he faced with these sub-temperature conditions. Dragons generally don't fare well in the cold. It was these thoughts that kept me pushing Charizard on.

"Hurrrr," Charizard heaved a grumble, alerting me to a small, glinting light in the distance. It moved about, as if to spin around in a wide circle.

The mist at this point cleared enough for me to spot the jagged walls of a cliff face and the light's source – a lighthouse that sat on the furthermost point. We'd just reached the mainland, but still with no sign of N and Dragonair.

"We should probably land and rest for a bit," I ordered Charizard to a grassy spot not far from the lighthouse when suddenly as if from nowhere, the brilliant Hyperbeam struck us from above.

"Ahhhh!" I yelled, feeling the force of its impact on Charizard's back just inches from where I sat.

"HUURRRR!" Charizard roared, his body twisting and contorting into a spiralling freefall.

"Pull up, Pull up, pullup pullup!" I screamed but there was only enough time for him to re-align in the air before he crash landed stomach first into the ground. I suddenly found myself topping forwards head over heels, hitting the grass several metres from where he lay.

Staggering to my feet and ignoring the crack in my ribs, I bolted for the Charizard who was still breathing but visibly dazed. I knew exactly what Pokémon that Hyperbeam had come from.

"I know you're out there N!" I bellowed into the blinding mist that surrounded the cliff face. "You have no right to use my own Pokémon against me!"

Silence. I soon spotted the dark, snake-like shadow that hovered around the cliff face, keeping itself hidden in the cloud cover.

"You dare claim to take ownership of Pokémon who themselves have free will?" his voice echoed over the loud crash of waves below us.

"Show yourself!"

But he seemed more adamant on hiding. I had no choice. Drastic action was required on my part. I conjured a Dark Pulse attack, flinging it in the direction of the figure that sat precariously on the shadow's back.

"Ahhh!" It hit him square on.

The figure wavered before he slipped off Dragonair's back.

"Charizard! Catch him before he hits the water!" Kair's recovering Charizard didn't hesitate. Leaping from the cliff, he vanished into the darkness below for a matter of seconds before reappearing, holding one dazed beginner Dragon trainer in his claws.

The teenager was dropped in the grass and he rolled twice before landing at my feet, confused and dazed at the sudden attack.

Pressing a boot into his chest, I ensured he wasn't going anywhere. "Release your hold of my Dragonair," I growled.

N blinked away the dots from in front of is eyes, the look on his face a mix of amazement and horror. "Dragonair. Thank you for your assistance." His eyes closed over for a moment until the trance-like state that gripped my Dragon wore off.

I watched Dragonair's body twitch in the cool of the mist, as though to wonder how he'd gotten there. Then noting my presence, he came out from hiding and landed neatly on the cliff beside me. Leaning down, I plucked the pokéball from N's belt and recalled Dragonair before releasing my hold on the kid and turning and walking in the direction of Kair's Charizard. With my back to the kid, I briefly checked Charizard over for hurt before I mounted him and heard N's hesitant call.

"That's it?"

I glanced back over my shoulder to spot him pulling himself upright.

"You're not taking me back to the island? You're just going to leave me here?" He questioned me.

"You got yourself into this mess, N. You can get yourself out of it."

"We're in the middle of nowhere! You can just leave me here!"

"You have your Axew don't you?" I pointed him in the direction of the lighthouse. "A Pokémon researcher lives there. I'm sure he'll put you up for the night."

N fell silent and I interpreted this as an indicator to take off but then he stopped me again.

"Wait! You called me a Dragon Seer. You've only seen part of what I am capable of in my gift. You said I need to be taken to the temple. Well then take me. Teach me to become a Master just like you."

I heaved a sigh. He did have a point. He seemed to hover about on both feet, as though to be caught up between two minds about the situation. A fierce fighter when it came to his ideals and ethics, but he didn't seem to have a clue as to how to cope in the real world. Had he been locked in a tower his entire life?

"Your gift is nothing unique to me. Your ability to communicate with Pokémon on such a level is something that some Masters take many years to perfect. The Dragon Clan calls a version of these the Shadow Arts."

"And you've received such training in these arts?"

I hesitated. "Yes. But I choose not to use them."

N fell silent, his frightened eyes watching me in the darkness until I heaved another sigh.

"Alright, come on. We've got a lot of ground to cover."

* * *

We arrived in Blackthorn city the next evening under the cover of darkness. On our travels, I'd been able to make contact with my mother who had confirmed that Kair was safe and well, and being held at a hotel in the main part of town. My first priority was Kair but with N tagging along, I soon realized that he would prove to complicate things.

Still, my mother who was staying with my cousin at the gym readily welcomed us, providing us with food, showers and fresh clothes. N retired to a guest room to rest and I took the opportunity to better explain the situation to my mother, leaving him in her capable hands while I attended to other, more pressing matters.

It was barely past midnight when I landed on the hotel balcony with a light thud. Recalling Charizard back into his ball for much needed rest, I picked the lock and pushed my way past drawn curtains into the darkness of the luxury suite.

Two figures slept on a king-sized bed, one human and the other a Feraligator. Two eyes blinked open and I heard the low toned growl as, alerted by my intrusion, the gator raised his head.

"Shh, Feraligator, it's me," I hushed him.

The Feraligator's mouth snapped shut and he hesitantly pulled himself from the comfort of the bed, allowing me to approach his master who slept soundly on her side, hugging a pillow to her tummy. She was clearly hot as sweat covered her body and she'd kicked the sheets away. Placing a hand to her stomach and the other to her face, I lent down and kissed her lightly on the forehead. I felt the movement in her belly, as alerted by my presence, the babies kicked and caused Kair to stir.

"Lance?" her voice croaked, her eyes blinking in the darkness of the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see if you were alright," I whispered.

She gave me a tired chuckle, her hand reaching out and pulling me onto the bed beside her. Lying with her baby bump between us she placed clammy hands on my chest and I kissed her lightly on the lips.

"My father has agents scouring the region for you," she said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I know," I replied.

"But I think he is coming around to the idea of you, of all people, being the father of his grandkids." She paused, licking dry lips. "He seems more interested in the fact that our son has an ability."

My heart sank. "So he knows."

Kair gave me a nod. "I had to tell him. He is the only person I know who can provide the right care for this kid."

I severely disagreed with the idea that Giovanni knew of our son's gift. But there wasn't anything I could do about it now, not yet anyway. If this later resulted in a custody struggle, then that would be a fight I'd have to be prepared for.

Exhausted from the ordeals of the past few days, I didn't even notice myself slip into a slumber until I snapped awake to the sunrise.

Sitting upright, the first thing I noticed was the fact that I was now alone in the room with a tray of breakfast on a table by the window. My eyes fell across the suite that seemed so much bigger in the daylight. Feraligator had since made himself comfortable on a couch in the small sitting area and watched me carefully from his location.

The sound of running water came into range and I noted that the bathroom door was closed. Kair must have been showering. Pulling myself from the sheets, I carefully made my way across to the breakfast table and pinched a piece of toast. And then ensuring that I was still safe in this room I approached the desk and sat myself down in front of Kair's laptop. It was already running when I waved the mouse but after much searching, I couldn't seem to find any information on the testing that Giovanni had put his daughter through. This in itself wasn't a surprise to me. So giving up on that endeavour, I took to disabling Team Rocket's tracking device that I knew was on the computer and checked my email.

A single unread memo came from the head office of the Government agency I worked for. It was an update with regards the theft of the Mew fossil from our branch in Goldenrod. Investigations had since proven my suspicion: the woman in the video was not Shelly of Team Aqua after all. So sights had turned to other possible crime syndicates including Team Rocket.

Logging onto the database, I pulled up the video footage of this _'Impostor Shelly'_. Playing it over and picking up on individual movements that strangely enough, I found somehow familiar. Though the footage was scratchy at best, it was hard to make a positive ID of the woman until I stopped the recording on a frame that suddenly made me drop my toast. The image showed the woman reaching up for something off the screen, her Team Aqua inspired tank top riding up her torso and revealing a long scar down her side…. A scar that could have only been acquired in an incident from months before…

"Holy Arceus, father of life!" My blood ran cold and for a moment I found my eyes glued to the screen. Kair! The woman was Kair! I was such an idiot! How did I not realise this?

Leaping upright, my chair tumbled backwards behind me and I bolted for the bathroom door, hammering on it. "Kair!" I bellowed. Surely she had to be out of the shower by now! "Kair, open up!"

I managed to bust the door open only to find the bathroom empty. She was gone. Not only this but the commotion I caused only seemed to alert hotel security as suddenly there was a loud ramming at the front door.

"Shit!" I cursed, reeling on the spot just as the Team Rocket agent came bursting through the door.

"You!" he hissed, his hands going to his belt for his pokéballs.

Feraligator immediately came to my defence, leaping from the couch and pitching himself between me and the agent, snarling and fangs bared. I took the opportunity to dash for the bathroom, throwing Charizard's pokéball through the window and leaping out after him as he formed in a beam of red.


	11. The Dragon's Den

**The Dragon's Den**

_Two years prior:_

_The sky was clear and a full moon shone brightly over the riverhead falls - a location secluded and seldom visited by humans. The waterfall had large boulders that formed two great pillars, one on each side._

_Clair__, the Blackthorn city gym leader, stood before the thundering falls, surrounded by water that sloshed about her knees. Her newly evolved Dragonair loyally stood to her side and a small gaggle of trainers watched on from the safety of dry land. _

_There was silence in the air as wearing her ceremonial garb, Clair lifted the ancient, Dragon's tooth into the air above her head. Her eyes were closed and deep in concentration. The fang she placed on a sacred cloth containing the Blackthorn emblem on a boulder in front of her. _

"_We ask the universe to bring peace and happiness to all Dragons. Be they Dragons of the sky, Dragons of the Earth, or Dragons of the water." With her hands held toward the sky, she hollered, her voice high pitched and echoing. _

_Then leaning down and cupping a hand full of water, she sprinkled it lightly over the fang, causing it to light up and glow brightly under the full moon._

"_Woah!" Clair's companions – trainers from Kanto who went by the names; Ash, Brock and Misty - all gasped in unison, the awestruck audience watching on as a light-energy of sorts soon began to resonate from the fang. _

_Following Clair's outcast arms toward the sky, it formed into a dazzling ball of light which for a moment completely engulfed the Dragon Trainer. Then slowly rising above her, it exploded into the outline of a brilliant dragon-shaped figure, a mystical roar sounding aloud as this 'Light Dragon' hurtled toward the stars. _

"_What's that?" With a clenched fist, a loud cry erupted from the young boy named Ash._

"_A L__ight Dragon!" Brock was quick to answer him. _

"_Really?" questioned Misty. "Wow!"_

_Not taking their eyes off the spectacle, they watched on as the Dragon figure seemed to dissolve into the stars, leaving behind it a trail of glittery light. _

"_It went right up into space!" exclaimed Misty._

"_It looks like it just stopped in midair then turned into a star!" confirmed Brock._

_Clair simply smiled to herself__ as she collected up the now dead fang in its cloth, allowing her gym companion to fill in the details for her._

"_Yes, once a Dragon Pokémon becomes a star it watches over all Dragon Pokémon." The short, old man's eyes gleamed with excitement. "At least that's what the popular legend tells us happens."_

"_My friends," Clair met them at the water's edge. "The ritual has been completed…"_

* * *

I found Kair at the end of town behind the gym. She sat alone on a bench, reading a book by the partially frozen waterfront of Blackthorn Lake. The morning was chilly but the sun warm on my skin as I approached her from behind.

"I know it was you in the PGM headquarters, Kair," I said with a tone full of frustration, though it was more at my lack of attention to detail than her.

Kair turned her head and raised her eyebrow before the slow smirk made its way across her face. "I thought that was Shelly. And besides, I was in the radio tower getting arrested. How can I be in two places at once?"

"The Team Rocket raid of the Goldenrod Radio Tower was a ruse. There was plenty of time between the fossil getting stolen and you getting arrested."

The woman snorted in reply and carefully got to her feet to face me. "What if Team Aqua deliberately planned the theft at the same time as the Team Rocket's heist, purely because they knew all eyes would be focused on the radio tower? Doesn't that sound more reasonable?"

Her blatant defiance did nothing to alleviate my frustrations. "The Shelly in the video has a scar on her side. The shelly from Team Aqua does not. I don't need to ask you about your scar Kair. I was there with the Masked Marauder when you got impaled in the side. And I've seen it enough to know that it is still very much there."

Her scoff turned into a deadly frown. "This is a dangerous path you're heading down, Lance."

But I merely matched her gaze. "This is a dangerous path _you're_ heading down too, Kair. I have enough evidence to arrest you here and now, you know."

"But you're not going to do that," she snarled.

"Why?"

"Because I'm carrying your children."

For moments it seemed we stood at a standoff until Kair's eyes fell on something behind me.

"Lance!" she let out a shout, pointing in the direction of several dark figures that carefully snuck up on us from behind.

I reeled around just in time to realise they were dressed like ninjas, before all at once Kair unleashed a Psywave that travelled straight through me and into our would be attackers.

All four of them hit the ground several metres back. Leaping to their feet they fell into a fighting formation, but the chance to attack was not given them as I conjured energy and released a Dark Void on each on of them, knocking them out cold.

"Look!" Kair pointed me back to the lake, to a speedboat containing more ninjas that left the dock and quickly sped toward a notorious looking cave on the other side.

But it was the old box that sat safely tucked under an arm that grabbed my attention. "Oh, hell no!" I yelled my way into a backward stagger. "The Fang! They've got the Dragon Fang!"

"They're headed for the entrance of the Dragon's Den!"

Quickly calling on Kair's Charizard, I leapt onto his back before stopping his master from following suit. "Kair, go and get Clair! That's an order!"

I didn't give her the chance to retaliate as I took off with her Charizard at full speed into the Dragon's Den.

* * *

The darkness was overwhelming, the flame on Charizard's tail doing little more than light up the immediate space around us. The cave itself was a massive warren of tunnels and dead ends - only one path leading into the sacred Dragon Holy lands. I knew what that path was but attempting to steer Charizard through a tunnel he had never before entered was severely slowing us down. Regardless, I knew exactly where those men were heading with that fang, and it didn't take long for it to dawn on me who they worked for. Sa'lu!

"Shit!" I cursed out loud, the reasons for those maps and charts I'd found on her desk coming to light.

I didn't have the time to even think it through. I gave myself no choice in the matter. I did the one thing I'd sworn to myself that I would never do again. I called on the powers that had remained dormant for so long. I felt the dark shadow that swept its way across my mind before it reached out and connected with the fire lizard I rode. Granted he was no Dragon, but he was close enough and in this instance, close enough was good enough.

I felt his conscious dull and merge with mine as I forced my will onto his mind. I felt my eyes start to burn and become bloodshot as I took on Charizard's sight. My heart raced in rhythm with the Pokémon's. I felt his limbs, his wings flapping and his power. An inward inferno of fire energy seemed to fill every part of my body. I, in effect, became the Charizard.

Twisting and weaving in amongst obstacles and tunnel entrances, I flew with pinpoint accuracy, the Charizards body and wings barely avoiding scraping on the stone walls of the cavern.

I heard them up ahead, calling on several flying Pokémon of their own as they took to the sky in search of the shrine – their target. The loud thunder of a waterfall came into range but I made no point of slowing down as we burst from the den and out into the morning sunlight, the brilliant colours of a paradise in bloom greeting us everywhere the eye could see. I forced Charizard up into the air. In the distance I could barely make out the figures aloft on various types of flying Dragon Pokémon.

Sticking my forefinger and thumb in my mouth, I let out a high-pitched whistle that echoed off the rocky walls of the valley. Within moments the shadow fell over us as my own Dragonite, who had been residing in these parts for some weeks now, fell into sync with us. "Dragonite! Invaders are heading for the shrine! Make sure you stop them!"

Without hesitation, the Dragon mother took off ahead, laying the path for us to follow.

Her cry sounded aloud across the valley and before long we found ourselves joined by other Dragons native to the Holy Lands.

We flew until we reached the base of Mt. Silver where the shrine resided. Seldom visited by Humans lest for ceremonial occasions, the shrine that had stood the test of time was nothing more than a small, one roomed structure that sat in the middle of a wide lake. What lay hidden inside it however, was the very symbol that kept Human and Dragon bonded in this symbiotic relationship.

Now however, several darkly dressed figures stood around it in a wide circle along the shoreline. A single, wooden bridge led up to the shrine itself, which was occupied by a caped woman with flowing, silver hair. My shadow along with the shadows of the Dragons that followed me fell over her and she turned to glimpse me in the sky, her expression turning into a dangerous scowl.

"Step away from that shrine, Sa'lu." I hollered, causing everyone in the vicinity to turn and look up at me. "Don't make me resort to taking drastic measures!"

The woman merely gave me a smirk and a chuckle, stopping her hefty stride in the middle of the bridge. "Drastic measures? Sounds a bit dramatic to me!" she seemed unfazed even in spite of my Dragonair and Dragonite companions that circled her in the sky. "Don't you dare underestimate my powers, boy."

A single flick of the finger was all it took for her to order her people to release their own Dragons. And it soon occurred to me that every person working for this woman was also a Dragon trainer. Monsters of all kinds appeared from their pokéballs. Dragonairs, Fraxure, Altaria, Salamence… to name a few. They were all here - dragons from all regions, all ready and willing to fight me.

This was going to be a hard battle…

"Lance!" Clair's call came as a blessing as I spotted her Dragonair on the approach closely followed by another Charizard and a boy riding upon its back – N. "Sa'lu!" her attention soon changed focus as she spotted the Shadow Dragon Master on the bridge. "What are you doing here?"

Sa'lu's glare hardened, clearly not at all impressed with this intrusion. She knew she was going to have a battle on her hands now, and I was going to make sure she was on the losing side.

"Men!" she yelled across the lake. "Take them out!"

All at once, the flying types took to the air in a joint battle effort.

"Dragonite! Make sure they don't succeed!" I threw the order out to my Dragonite which she repeated across to her companions.

Who threw the first attack, I don't recall. All I know is that all at once, the atmosphere was shredded with Hyperbeams and Dragon attacks. Panning Charizard downward to avoid the areal battles, Clair, N and I took to lower skies only to find ourselves at the receiving end of a ground assault. A giant fireball hurtled in my direction which I was barely able to dodge. This I replied to with a fire attack of my own, Kair's Charizard belching out a Flamethrower that formed a wall between Trainer and Dragon.

I didn't even see the Twister that struck us from behind, sending us into a spiral and separating me from my Charizard.

"Ahhh!" The next moment I found myself freefalling. "Oof!" My torso hit Dragon hide as I landed on Clair's Dragonite.

"Gotcha!" Clair panned her head to the side and grinned at me. "Hang on!"

This I did as she flew her Dragonair upwards, back into the madness above. "Dragonair! Thunderwave!"

An Altaria fell out of the sky, hitting the lake below it with a loud splash.

I attempted to locate Kair's Charizard but the sky was filling with smoke. It was hard to tell one Dragon from the other. Caught up in the confusion, N vainly struggled his way through the chaos, surprisingly, his Charizard coming out unscathed.

"Lance! She is reaching the shrine! We have to stop her!"

I snapped my head around to find Sa'lu bolting for the end of the bridge. Dragonair took a dive, but we were too slow!

"Charizard! Hyperbeam! Take out that bridge!" N's call came from behind before I heard the loud buzz zap of the Pokémon's Hyperbeam attack. A single, yellow beam of light dropped from the heavens above us. Then Booom! The explosion was so intense that we were forced to cover our eyes.

Wood and shrapnel flew in every direction in a blast that would have surely meant the end of the old Dragon Master once and for all. But as the smoke cleared, there I saw her, standing and shielding herself with none other than a Protect attack. I had to double take, there wasn't a single Pokémon around her… this was a Protect attack of her own doing!

"What the…?" I could only conjure.

There was a problem for the woman now as she stood at the end of a bridge that had now literally been blown in half. But this didn't seem to faze her. Instead I watched her draw in a different kind of energy… a familiar kind. The breeze around us began to pick up, debris that once floated about in the water were lifted and twisted around into a spiralling tornado. It was a Twister attack… A dragon move. And it dawned on me… Sa'lu had given herself a special little ability of her own…

The woman soon found herself lifted up within her self-made tornado which made its way across the lake toward the shrine.

"Oh no you don't!" I heard Clair's confused bellow. She ordered her Dragonair into another dive, not even seeing the trap until we were in it. Because the moment the woman set foot on the ground, she turned that twister back on us - a twister full of splintering wood and nails that attacked Clair's Dragonair head on. Clair and I had no choice, we had to jump or find our feeble, human bodies impaled. Grabbing her by the arm, I pulled her into a tight hug and threw us off the Dragon just as the twister hit. The loud bellows of her Dragonair filled our ears before the cold splash of water drowned out every other one of our sensors.

Our heads broke the surface only to find ourselves hurled from the water onto dry land.

Ninjas and what was left remaining of their Dragons surrounded us, threatening us with knives and swords. Coughing up water and heaving air into our lungs, there wasn't much we could do to resist them as they pulled Clair and I to our feet and bound our hands behind our backs.

I searched the sky for any sign of the Dragons but there was nothing more than silence amid the darkness of the billowing clouds of smoke.

And suddenly there she was… standing on the other side of the lake and holding a golden bowl in her hands containing the eternal flame that had burned on for a hundred years. The very symbol of Human and Dragon unity.

The smile on Sa'lu's face was wide and hungry as she stood with gloved hands, holding the artefact over her head. "I stand here today to bring on a new era. A new age in Dragon Mastery! I hereby proclaim this the age of the Shadow Dragon Master!" There was nothing anyone could do to stop her. She dropped the bowl into the water, dousing its flame instantly.

"Oh please no!" Clair's voice was panicked as she struggled to stay still in front of her holders. Swords were held to our chests and throats. One small move and we were dead, so using my Dark ability at this point would prove to be futile.

My eyes fell on N who had landed safely some distance away. He was back in the custody of his aunt's men, who didn't see the need in threatening him in the same manner. He watched on with great interest the scene that unfolded before his eyes.

We all watched on as the Shadow Dragon Master then pulled the stolen Dragon Fang from her robes. Performing a ritual similar to the one Clair would perform on an annual basis. Except this one was riddled not with requests for peace and prosperity. This one called on a force… a dark force that I immediately started to feel welling up in my very core. As if to will this Shadow darkness out of the fang, the woman's beckoning call echoed across the lake.

A dark cloud suddenly began to seep from the fang - an energy so sinister that I found myself utterly fixated by it. Feelings… began to surface… things that I had not felt in many, many years. Power…

The darkness seemed to engulf Sa'lu for a moment before it travelled upwards into the sky. It began to transform, expanding out into a serpent-like shape. It grew wings, and a single fang while the other was missing. A loud, ear splitting screech filled the air as the Shadow Dragon formed, red eyes gleaming… screaming for power… for vengeance. It was like nothing I'd seen before… something from my worst nightmares.

The old woman was chanting at it… pleading with it to connect with her in the Shadow Arts. She aimed to control it.

The demon Dragon let out another screech that immediately sent all other Dragons in the area to flight. Then all at once in a single motion Sa'lu produced a dark pokéball I immediately recognised from the underground establishment with the Masked Marauder.

The ball sucked up the Dragon in a beam of black before hitting the ground at Sa'lu's feet. There she stood… we all stood. Watching it blink and roll around... then lock.

She'd just captured it.

I suddenly felt my very heart sink into the depths of my feet. This couldn't be happening. With it, she would take on the rest of the Dragon Clan… and there would be no stopping her.

The woman made her way back over to us, the disgusting smirk on her face full of victory. She approached me, facing me head on and extending a gloved finger to wipe my nose that I only just realised was bleeding.

"You've unlocked your special little secret haven't you?" she whispered before turning and walking away, "Make sure they don't follow us."

These were the last words I heard before I felt something hard hit me on the back of the head…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Two chapters at once! :D!

The events at the start of the chapter occur in the anime episode: "Beauty is skin deep". My depection of the Dragon's Den and the Dragon Holy lands is a blend of the Anime and the Game. Also, for the sake of the story, I have decided to age Ash throughout his journeys. Approx a year per region he explores (not including the battle frontier series or the orange islands).


	12. An Unlikely Alliance

**An Unlikely Alliance**

"Lance? Lance wake up."

I heaved a loud moan, my mind exiting its void. I blinked awake only to find myself staring up into two great pools of brown. "Kair?"

"Lance, what happened?" She helped me sit up where I realised we were not alone.

In fact this was far from the case. A swarm of Team Rocket agents surrounded us, immediately making me swallow. "What are they doing here?"

"It's alright Lance, they're with me," Kair reassured me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I called on reinforcements with the help of my friend." She signalled me to a steely gazed man who watched us carefully from a distance. "What happened here?"

I let my eyes trail across the destruction. The ground was covered in burn marks and what was left of the bridge now floated aimlessly about the surface of the waters. Clair was at the shoreline, busily patching up the injuries her Dragonair had sustained in the attack, and various other Pokémon hung about, licking their wounds. My Dragonite along with Kair's Charizard carefully treaded over to me once they saw that I was awake, Dragonite giving me a gentle nudge in the arm. She looked beaten and bruised. Everyone did.

"It was Sa'lu," I said. "She did this. She intends to take on the Dragon Clan."

Kair's eyes became downcast and disappointed. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that," she whispered, ashamed of her own grandmother's actions. "Come on. We should be getting you back to the gym."

* * *

Wounds were treated and Pokémon healed. We reached Blackthorn Gym late in the afternoon only to be greeted by a sight I was not expecting. My mother, who had been looking after the Gym in our absence, was entertaining a guest who sat in Clair's chair by the fireplace. A Persian by his side and swirling a glass of wine in his ring laden hand, his intense, dark gaze turned to face me upon my entry.

I stopped in my tracks suddenly, Kair and Clair almost colliding into the back of me. "What is he doing here?" I growled, but the mother of my children pushed past me and entered the living area.

"I had a feeling if Sa'lu was behind this, then you would be needing his help."

"I don't need the help of a mobster."

"Watch your words Dragon Master," Giovanni's threat was low toned and dangerous. He waved a hand and directed me into a seat in front of him that his men immediately shoved me into. "I'm here to call a temporary truce."

"What?" the shock on my voice was clearly evident.

"The Dragon Holy Lands as well as the Dragon Clan have been under my protection for many years now at the willing of my late wife. I have a sound investment in many of the trainers there, including yourself."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Couldn't quite fathom…"You can't be serious. The Dragon clan are a free people. We are not _owned_ by the mafia!"

But he merely smirked and placed his glass down on the table that separated us. "By my ex-mother-in-law's meddling, she challenges me and forces me to play my hand. Allay or foe, I will not tolerate people who choose to mess with my investments."

His claim to Dragon territory was as ridiculous as his threats toward the Shadow Dragon Master. "What stops you from joining her in this endeavour? The last I heard you two were bed buddies."

The look of utter distain swept over the crime lord's face. "I detest that you even voice that idea. Sa'lu is nothing more to me than a business partner. One that, if she insists on interfering with my business, will find herself cut off from Team Rocket practices."

I found it all hard to believe. "So Mr. Team Rocket, what do you propose we do then?"

Resting his elbows on each chair arm, he pressed his fingers together in contemplation. "We fight her, of course. But firstly I need you to tell me exactly what happened out there."

My uneasy glance fell among the other faces in the room. Faces that watched us with great eagerness. Shifting in my seat, I made a point of brushing dirt from my trousers and tugged at my cape that now seemed to strangle me.

"She called on a Shadow Dragon. One conjured utilising the Shadow Arts."

Giovanni's slow nod was not expected, nor was the click of his fingers as he summoned one of his men to bring in a sketchbook. "I organised to have some of my late wife's work brought over for my daughter to study."

He was handed the sketchbook where there he proceeded to carefully flick through its pages. He found what he was looking for, flipped the book to face me and placed it on the coffee table before me. My heart seemed to freeze in my chest there and then. Because there it was… the very beast I'd faced only hours before. The Shadow Dragon.

"Aisha wrote little on this creature, which I had originally attributed to an overactive imagination," Giovanni filled. "But she gave us just enough information to know what it is and where it comes from, as well as how to defeat it."

Exhaling loudly, I couldn't help but recall some of her writings that I'd already read. Change indeed was upon us. "Don't spare the details."

Giovanni cut right to the chase. "It is a trans-dimensional creature - meaning that it resides in a dimension above our own but is capable of entering into our own reality. In the universe it comes from, it is made up of anti-matter energy. Light, dark… I suppose you could say it hold similarities to a ghost type Pokémon. In fact, in our realm, these are the attributes it takes on - a Ghost/Dragon. So it can be defeated. The problem is that defeating it will take something of equal strength, something along the lines of a Legendary Pokémon." Giovanni heaved a sigh and spread his arms wide in a mock display of disappointment. "Unfortunately, Legendary Pokémon happens to be something that I am in short supply of."

"So we need to do the next best thing," I nodded, following his gist. "We need to expel it back into that other dimension."

Giovanni nodded. "Exactly."

"But how do we do that?"

Giovanni leaned forward in his seat and pointed to the Dragon on the sketchbook, or rather its lacking fang. "That Dragon Fang is the key. It will open that gateway for us."

"Which just so happens to be in the possession of Sa'lu."

"We have to get that fang back," for the first time in our meeting, Clair spoke up, making me realise that I'd since forgotten she was there.

"I suppose you already have a plan in the works?" I raised an eyebrow at the Team Rocket Boss.

As always, he was a man with a plan. "I am amassing a battle squadron as we speak. We leave for Mt. Silver in an hour."


	13. Mt Silver

**Mt. Silver**

The chill of the night rattled through my very core, but still I remained firm at my post, keeping an ever watchful eye out over the mountains that formed jagged shapes in the moonlight.

Snow covered the ground everywhere I looked, the moon reflecting off the whiteness and causing it to glint and shimmer. Silence prevailed across Mount Silver, only the sound of my beating heart kept me company. The villagers had long been ordered to take refuge in the inner rooms of temple in preparation for Sa'lu's impending attack.

Team Rocket crawled into every crook and crevice of the ancient site. Except, for once, we were on the same side. It was an eerie feeling… one that I still couldn't quite justify. Had this what Aisha had spoken of in her journals? These where the changes that were on the way? The Mafia Crime Lord and the Champion - both sworn enemies now having to work together to protect a common interest.

It was madness in the truest sense, and I was half expecting to wake from this bizarre dream at any moment.

"Are you alright?" Kair's approach startled me from my thoughts and I turned to face her as she entered onto the balcony. Her eyes had a genuine look of concern in them, and I could clearly see that in the past months she had gradually moulded herself into a more 'motherly' frame.

I blinked away tiredness and stifled a yawn. "Fine. You?"

She looked pained - as if she wanted to tell me something but chose to keep her mouth shut. "I've seen better days," was all she managed to say.

I drew her into a light embrace and kissed her on the forehead. She really was beautiful.

"You need to get into the temple with the rest of the village. For your own safety."

She clearly did not agree with the idea but knew she was in no position to fight. "I hate this. Not being on the front line kills me."

"I know," I smiled. "But you've got more important things to worry about."

She nodded before handing me a pokéball. "Take care of Charizard."

I watched her leave back through the double doors before turning back to my post. The night hadn't changed. The moon was still high and I was still freezing.

"Hurrrrr!" I spotted the outline of Dragonite as she made her way through the mountains after making her rounds.

"Still nothing?" I questioned as she landed on the balcony beside me and shook off the frost from her hide. She was visibly not impressed with the cold. "Get inside and warm up Dragonite. I ordered."

It was at the Dragon's insistence that she came along on this mission, even in spite of the fact that the time for her eggs to hatch was near. She was supposed to be resting before motherhood cam upon her, so needless to say I was surprised to find that she chose otherwise. But then again, she was a fighter after all. She and I were a team. I couldn't have been more proud of her.

"Master Lance," the voice of a young rocket alerted me. "We have a… situation. The Boss requires your presence in the tactical room."

I followed the boy back into the temple, into its main chamber which had since become a base of operations for the Team Rocket Boss. Makeshift tables filled with computers and tracking technology lined the floor. Then to the room's centre was a single, large table with a holographic map, displaying the outline of Mt. Silver and the mountains around it. It was there Giovanni stood, staring intently at the diagram before the chamber door swung open and a young, dishevelled man found himself dragged in by a couple of Team Rocket agents.

"N?" I frowned.

"You know this boy?" Giovanni questioned me.

I nodded. "He is a relative of Kair and Sa'lu."

Giovanni's composure was not promising for the boy. "Then perhaps that will explain his presence in the village. He is a spy."

"No! Wait! I'm not a spy!" The teenager let out a cry only to find himself elbowed in the face by one of Giovanni's goons.

"Is this necessary?" I raised an eyebrow at the Boss and he waved a hand for them to drop the boy. I headed over to N and helped him to his feet. "N, what are you doing here?"

N took a moment to fix his composure, wiping a bloody nose with the back of his sleeve.

"I came here to warn you. Sa'lu and her forces are camped out behind the valley," he pointed in the general direction, "She is planning the attack for midnight tonight. She is powerful, Lance. She won't be easily defeated."

"You just leave that to us, N. In the meanwhile, you need to make yourself sparse."

But he dug his heels in. "I want to fight, Lance."

I found myself taken aback by this. The peacemaker wanted to fight?

"What Sa'lu has planned for the Dragon Clan… those Pokémon… it's not right. I will not stand for it. So she leaves me with no choice but to return fire." N's reasoning was sound, though my faith in his fighting abilities was less than substantial.

"Alright," I said finally. "Make sure you stick with me. Do you still have your Charizard you borrowed from Clair?"

He nodded.

"Good. Come on." I signalled for him to follow me, "I'll show you to your post."

* * *

"December 24," I whispered under a stuttering breath, watching the main square's clock-tower tick past midnight. The zero hour was upon us.

I glanced out over my post at the men and women – Dragon Trainer and Team Rocket - who lined the winding balconies of the temple and village. The silence that prevailed was eerie, like the calm before the storm. Eyes were focused, minds alert.

N's silent point from beside signalled me to a cloud of dark shadows that were on the approach, coming from the very valley he'd told us they were hiding in. Flying low, they kept to the shadows and were as silent as the night.

"N, pass the message along. Keep calm and remain quiet. Attack on my mark."

The teenager nodded and hurried off down the line up as I took to searching the sky for the one person who dared called herself a Dragon Master. She rode at the front on the back of a Dragonite, signalling for her people to get into battle formation.

N returned to my side and I let out a loud bellow down the line-up, "Battle positions!"

Great flashes of red trailed down the line-up as trainers released their Pokémon from their balls. Team Rocket members took the added step and armed large cannon looking devices loaded with electrified netting. Any Pokémon belonging to Sa'lu's clan that was unfortunate enough to find itself caught up in one of those nets would ultimately become the property of Team Rocket - a far better fate in my mind than being the helpless puppet of a Shadow Dragon Trainer.

The first attack came from Sa'lu as a massive fireball shot from her Dragon's mouth and exploded into the mountain side just above our heads. Then she ducked down under her troops, allowing for them to follow through with a line of assault.

"Attack!" my order echoed off the mountain walls and all at once the evening was shattered into a rain of Pokémon battle moves.

Those with flying types took to the sky, including N and myself - N on the back of his Charizard and me on the back of Dragonite. Kair's Charizard joined us, falling into line behind us.

"Keep on the watch, N!" I ordered the boy. "And whatever you do, don't fall off!"

My target was none other than Sa'lu herself. Weaving my way through various dragons and their riders I soon realised that the old Shadow Dragon Master now chose to keep herself safely tucked away behind her people. She sat on the back of her Dragonite, barking out random orders and was seemingly oblivious to our approach.

"We've got to get that fang, N."

The boy beside me nodded. "One of us will need to distract her while the other comes up from behind. She is expecting you Lance. You are her main focus."

"Good thinking. I'll grab her attention, you get that fang."

The boy signalled his Charizard downwards underneath and behind Sa'lu and her Dragonite while I headed up and over her. Our eyes met and she stopped mid shout, her mouth forming into a sneer.

"Stop this nonsense at once, Sa'lu!" I yelled at her at the top of my lungs.

"I don't think so, Lance. This is only just the beginning!"

My eyes briefly met N's as we both spotted the fang hanging from her belt. She was oblivious to his approach until her Dragon caught a whiff of his scent and promptly turned.

"Hurrrr!" it bellowed, alerting the woman.

"Shit!" I cursed but it was too late.

N went for the fang but Sa'lu with her Dragonite immediately scooted out of the way, the woman giving a shout in protest. "You little, scheming brat!"

The Dragonite's metal claw made contact with the boy's Charizard, sending it into a freefall and N flying into Sa'lu and her Dragon. There was a brief struggle before the woman got the upper hand and promptly shoved her nephew from the back of her Dragonite.

"N!" I didn't even stop to think; I pushed my Dragon into a nose dive and went after the boy.

His arms flailing madly and the moon's reflection off the snow-covered mountains that came hurtling up to meet him lighting up the look of terror in his eyes.

Dragonite's claws were outstretched, her wings flared and at the last moment before we found ourselves spattered across the mountain face, she managed to catch him before dropping him gently into a snow embankment and hitting the ground herself.

Her wings heavy with ice, Dragonite soon found herself unable to lift off. "Hurrr!" she bellowed, her energy quickly draining from her.

I staggered from my Dragonite and grabbed for her Pokéball, withdrawing her into a beam of red before the icy conditions got the better of her. And I could only imagine how much longer the other dragons that battled high above us would last.

"Lance," I heard N's shallow call from behind me and reeled. The boy sat in the snow, shivering from head to toe but his expression was victorious. "I got it." he held up the fang.

I couldn't help the brief smile that escaped my lips. "Nice work N."

I helped the boy to his feet and we both glanced up at the battle that took place several hundred of metres above us. We were stuck on the mountain side, alive but stuck nevertheless.

Sa'lu's men were being forced to retreat back behind her. A black beam erupted from her general location and I felt the groan gurgle forth from my throat as we watched the Phantom Dragon form in the air in front of the temple.

The monster was bigger than any Dragon I'd seen in my life. Serpent in shape and form- almost like a Gyrados – it twisted and twirled in the air, roaring at the top of its lungs and sending everything within its vicinity scrambling for shelter. Team Rocket started to attack it, firing cannons and electrified nets at it. They were attempting to capture it! But their efforts did nothing more than get absorbed up into the Dragon's ghost-like body.

"We need to get up there!" N voiced my thoughts.

Two Charizards where fast on the approach – one belonging to Kair and the other the one N had borrowed from Clair.

"Over here!" I waved my arms and they quickened their flapping, the fire types seemingly unaffected by the snow and ice.

They landed, urgently waiting for us to mount them before we took off toward the beast that threatened the temple.

A loud shout sounded from the direction of the Phantom Dragon's Shadow Master - an order that I couldn't quite make out. The Dragon responded to the woman's command without hesitation, and we all watched on as it started to form an unknown attack in the back of its ghost-like throat. Similar to a Hyperbeam but with the force of something so much stronger, the Dragon attacked the temple wall, blasting segments of it into oblivion. Only one thought seemed to be on its mind, complete and utter annihilation.

"N! Toss me the fang!"

The boy did just so, asking, "Do you know how to use it? Or even if this will work?"

"No idea," I called back. "Just follow my lead."

I was determined this was going to work. If Sa'lu could use it to open a gateway to release the Dragon, then surely I could use it to open that same gateway to expel it.

Giant chunks of rock and wall lining rained down over us, immediately throwing our Charizards into evasive manoeuvres. Dust clouds billowed from the wreckage, stinging our eyes and choking us.

I only had one chance at this! Holding up the fang, I began to chant the words I'd known since childhood. I caught her from the corner of my eye, Sa'lu and her Dragonite taking a dive for me in attempt to stop me. A Hyperbeam formed on its lips, leaving me with no choice but to dodge it and order Charizard to throw out a Flamethrower attack of its own.

But her Protect attack immediately dispersed it.

"You think you can stop me, Dragon Master?" her holler sounded aloud over the destruction. Sa'lu along with her Dragonite both conjured Dragon attacks that forced me into a retreat, knowing all to well that the chances of Kair's Charizard winning in a battle against her weren't good. I was at a disadvantage.

"Give me that fang, boy!"

The Dragonite swooped me, passing us by mere inches. N took a dive after us in attempt to ward the old Dragon Master off, but his attempts were rendered useless as he found himself facing off with a Twister attack that send him and his Charizard back into the dust cloud.

I had no other option. I had nowhere else to go but down.

We skimmed the snow covered mountain peeks, Sa'lu hot on our tail, but not for long as just as what had happened to my Dragonite, the Dragon's wings became frostbitten and heavy. Soon it wasn't able to hold itself up in the air which sent it and its master tumbling into the freezing snow.

Not even looking back to see the fate of the old Dragon Master, Charizard and I took to the sky once again, fighting with every breath left in its lungs to get back to the Phantom that continued to rain down destruction on my beloved temple.

But Charizard was getting tired… he was beginning to slow down.

"Lance! Throw me the fang! I know what to do," N was suddenly above me, his hand outstretched and his gaze wide and urgent.

Charizard and I were already losing lift. I threw the fang and the boy caught it in mid-air, and on the back of his Charizard made one final attempt at opening this gateway.

I watched him as he lifted the fang high into the air, his soulful chants ringing aloud across the valley and causing the monster to stop in its tracks.

Then like a whirlpool had formed in mid-air, the gateway began to open, spewing bright, white light across the mountain face. I squinted, having to cover my eyes at the spectacle as the Dragon soon found itself pulled into this trans-dimensional whirlpool.

N watched from his position, completely motionless and for a moment it seemed as though he too found himself being slowly dragged into this whirlpool. His eyes wide with exhilaration, it didn't take me long to realise that he could see something… A vision perhaps… I don't know. But one moment he was stationary and the next he was suddenly ordering his Charizard to follow the Dragon into the whirlpool.

"N! No!" I howled, but the boy simply ignored me. "Charizard! After him!"

Charizard was beyond exhausted but in a final burst of energy we hurtled up toward N and his Pokémon, throwing ourselves into a tackle and pushing them out of the gateway's pull before once and for all it closed over, leaving the world around us in silence…


	14. The Delivery

**The ****Delivery**

The temple's outer walls were in tatters. Rock and debris lay scattered across the floor along with snow and ice compliments of the numerous, newly created 'doors' and 'windows' at the hands of Sa'lu's Shadow Dragon.

The first signs of sunrise began to show through the mountain peeks, bringing with it a new day and along with it confirmation of the Dragon clan's victory. We were still here.

Sa'lu and her people however, were not. With the Shadow Dragon dealt with, they were easily overcome and defeated. Those who could, fled. Others still, surrendered and found themselves taken into Team Rocket custody.

The village's inhabitants who spent the night hiding in the temple's inner chambers were safe and unharmed, only suffering the effects of a sleepless night. With the sunrise, they emerged from hiding to assess the damage and start on repairs. The place was a mess, but it would be rebuilt. The important part was that we survived.

Giovanni and his men were already packing up and preparing to disembark. The Team Rocket leader stood alone, watching the process when I entered his makeshift 'War Room'. In place of the tables and computer equipment that once lined the chambers were now large, metal crates. Giovanni's face was expressionless as he focused on the activities of his people. His investment was secure, though I was sure there were deeper workings at play in his mind right then. Possibly the fact that he'd let the likes of a Legendary Dragon slip through his fingers. Though I doubted even he could control something like that.

"Giovanni." His head snapped around at my approach. "Thank you." I would be lying if I said it wasn't hard to say that to him.

The Crime Lord simply nodded. His job here was done, and we were enemies once more. "Sa'lu has once again managed to escape. My men found no traces of her at the location you and N left her."

This didn't surprise me in the slightest. The woman, when on her own, was a coward.

"What will you do now?" I asked.

"She can't hide forever. The price I've put on her head…" he let it hang. "I will find her and she will pay." He went to turn and leave but the call of a nervous, young Rocket stopped him mid-stride.

"Sir," the young grunt saluted officially.

"Yes? What is it?" Giovanni snapped mechanically.

"Agent Pierce requests your presence immediately. It's regarding your daughter."

This grabbed my attention, "Kair? Is she alright?"

The rocket seemed to hop about on both feet. "This way."

We followed the skittish little grunt through the countless tunnels that made up this ancient temple, until we came to a bed chamber, which at this point was occupied by the village physician, my mother, Kair's handler and a very uncomfortable looking Kair. She sat back on a bed, red in the face and cursing loudly.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" She yelled across the room, only to spot me and her father and then only yelled louder. "I hate you Lance Drake! I hate you!"

"Kair?" I bolted for the woman but only found myself stopped short and shoved up against the door by my own mother, of all people. Her eyes were wide and panicked.

"Wh…" I was stumped. "What's going on?"

"She is in labour, you fool!" Giovanni's roar sounded aloud over his daughter's insistent cussing.

"Labour?" the word left an eerie echo in my mind that suddenly seemed to insight in me feelings of panic and dread. "Legendaries! Not now! She still has two months to go!"

"She's been in labour all night. Lance, it's time." My mother's words were definite, the physician only confirming this as he made the announcement for anyone not needed in the room to leave.

The Team Rocket agents quickly filed out at this point, leaving just Giovanni, my mother and I alone with Kair and the physician. My mother acted as a midwife as she prepared towels and other utensils, and the two went to work on turning the small bedchamber into a delivery room.

"We do have more adequate facilities in the village," I voiced, but the physician barely took the time to acknowledge me.

"It's too late to move her now, this will have to do."

"Doctor, she's reached ten centimetres. She is fully dilated. Giovanni, Lance, please step back."

The Crime Lord wasn't used to taking orders, but in this instance, he chose to make an exception. We retreated to the furthest corner of the room, awaiting any further instruction while at the same time watched on with eager anticipation.

My mind was a confused mess amid the chaos, so I was caught completely and utterly unprepared when our daughter arrived first. Tiny and delicate, she greeted the world with a squeal that could shatter windows. Quickly wrapped in a towel and given a moment to spend in her mother's arms, I found myself practically stumbling over my own two feet to reach her. She was handed to me and all at once my world seemed to spin on its own axis. Her hair was the colour of a summer sunset, and as I spoke to her, her screaming began to dissipate. Tiny, barely open eyes searched the distance between our faces… searched for the source of my voice.

"Scarlet," I smiled. "What do you think of that for your name?"

"I think it's a very good name," My glance fell on Kair who smiled in kind. She was visibly tired, yet focused on the remainder of her task which was still only half done.

Her contraptions started again, and again I was pushed aside but this time with a beautiful, baby girl in my arms. Words truly cannot express what it felt like to hold her for the first time.

I felt Giovanni's presence beside me as he watched us... watched the next generation to his family tree form into existence.

"Congratulations," his voice was barely above a whisper.

If the Criminal Mastermind had intentions of keeping his emotions in check, then he would find himself sorely defeated at the birth of his second grandchild.

Taking his first breath, the newborn was silent. He didn't scream, he didn't cry. He merely took in his new surroundings and observed them. He was wrapped up in a towel and handed to his mother – the two psychics finally meeting for the first time.

"Father," Kair's exhausted smile greeted Giovanni and he stepped forward only to take the child from her, awkwardly cradling him in her arms.

Bigger than his sister, he had no hair yet, though it was evident that it was also going to be red. His eyes were focused, watching his grandfather with great intensity and I saw in that moment a bond that formed that would not be easily broken.

"Giovanni," in all honesty, I don't know what possessed me to say it. Perhaps some part of me really wanted peace between us after all. "He is your grandson, what do you suggest we name him?"

The leader of Team Rocket was silent for a moment, not taking his eyes off the tiny bundle in his arms.

"Silver," he finally said. "His name will be Silver."


	15. Abduction

**Abduction**

"They're beautiful, aren't they."

"Mmhm," I nodded.

Kair leaned her head on my shoulder and breathed a soft sigh as we watched the two, tiny infants sleep soundly in their bassinets. "They're so much more beautiful when they sleep."

It had only been a matter of weeks since the events that took place around their births, which we spent residing at the temple while I assisted with its rebuild and Kair – with the assistance of my mother - got accustomed to her new role of motherhood. Admittedly, it wasn't something that seemed to come naturally to the independent minded daughter of a mobster, but she was learning fast. The twins were healthy and grew by the day.

Giovanni and his people were long gone by now, though he did keep in contact with his daughter on a daily basis. In the meantime however, he had an organisation to run, and a Shadow Dragon Master to hunt down.

Reports on Sa'lu's whereabouts had come up far and few in between. Her castle was empty when Team Rocket stormed it only days after her attack on Mt. Silver. It was as though she'd disappeared off the face of the planet. But somehow at the back of my mind, I suspected she would show herself again somewhere down the lines. And we would have to be prepared.

"So, I'll be leaving you now."

Kair and I both turned at the utterance as N made a quiet entry into the chambers we'd since taken residency in.

"Already?" Kair questioned her cousin with the rise of an eyebrow. "But you've only been here for a few weeks. I thought you wanted to learn more about the Dragon Clan?"

"I've found what I was looking for. And I know what I need to do now," he nodded as though to affirm his statement.

The vibe I got from him was unsettling somehow, but I chose to dismiss it. He was a Dragon Seer after all. But a Dragon Seer who had seen something in that Shadow Dragon, and as a result spent the past few weeks pouring through the archives looking for information on Legendary Dragon types.

"You're heading back to Unova?"

"Yes," replied N with a faint smile. "I have important duties to attend to, but if you ever happen to be passing through the area, please feel free to come look for me."

"It was nice to meet you, N." Kair returned his smile, "Good luck."

"Likewise, my dear Cousin," he gave a bow, "and you too Lance."

* * *

**Several Months Later…**

_The New Island lab was pristine and state of the art. Rebuilt from the ground up, it showed virtually no resemblance to its predecessor, apart from its intended use._

_A new team of scientists toiled around the clock, working off a mixture of old data and new discoveries to get the project underway._

_A dark, feline-shaped Pokémon floated about a giant, fluid filled cylinder that sat in the lab's central workspace. It slept soundly for the moment, but with the growth accelerants they fed into its system it grew at an alarming rate, so that what would normally take something close to ten years to mature now became only a matter of months. There was a downside to this however, as they chose to sacrifice proper mental development for the sake of saving time. But then again, Giovanni didn't need a Pokémon with super-intelligence. He needed its power, and that it had. _

_Its genes spliced and merged with the likes of Mew, Darkari and other dark type Pokémon, the creature resembled the abomination to which it was intended to rival, except with some obvious differences. For instance, to save on identity confusion, the scientists had made its fur black rather than the original Mewtwo's white._

_Checking up on this Dark Mew clone was only one of the reasons for Kair and Giovanni's visit, however. _

"_You'll be pleased to know that his vitals have remained consistently steady. It seems that Sneasal's influence on Silver has dramatically stabilized him and kept his powers in check. When he is older, I have no doubt you'll have little trouble in training him in better using these abilities," Dr. Sebastian – the project's head scientist - held up a clipboard and ticked several boxes._

"_That's good to hear," Kair gently ran a hand through her son's recently grown mop of shaggy, red hair. _

_Silver was restless, but now used to the constant prodding and poking of Giovanni's men. This had been a monthly thing for him since his birth. His companion Sneasal, who was constantly by his side, made a point of keeping him occupied most of the time. _

"_That is especially good news," Giovanni gave an approving nod, "If it works for him, then there is a good chance the same will apply when we manage to re-capture Mewtwo using our latest Dark type weapon."_

_Kair smirked as she followed his gaze to the lab's centre where the experiment drifted about in its tube. "What will you call it?"_

_Giovanni's hungry expression went straight. "Dark Mewtwo seems appropriate."_

"_Original…" Kair replied flatly though she could tell what to call the creature was among the least of Giovanni's concerns. He didn't care what it was called, just so long as it fulfilled its intended purpose._

_It was only a matter of months now…_

"_Come Aisha, we have work to do," Giovanni summoned his daughter before picking up his grandson in a strangely, fatherly like manner. _

_In all honesty, Kair still wasn't used to seeing him handle children, even though he did have two of his own. Silver, on the other hand, held no reservations about it. In fact, he'd taken a shine to Giovanni and had come to enjoy his visits, even if they did involve bringing him to this strange place. _

_R__ecalling Sneasal back into its pokéball, Kair quickly fell into step with her father and attached the ball to her son's tiny jumpsuit as they made their way out to the lab's roof where a helicopter waited to fly them back to Viridian. _

"_So this is where you've been hiding your little experiments." Before they even had the chance to reach the chopper, Giovanni and Kair found themselves compelled to turn around at the loud shout from across the rooftop. _

_None other than Team Rocket's most wanted stepped from the shadows of an adjoining ventilation shaft, her hands on her hips and a smirk wide on her face. _

"_Sa'lu!" Giovanni instantly spat. "What is the meaning of this?"_

_Sa'lu seemed unfazed by the dangerous glare of her new antagonist. "I'm here for the boy, Giovanni. Just as we had agreed." _

_Kair's face immediately took on a look of alarm, glancing from the old Dragon Master to her father. "Agreed?"_

_But Giovanni's expression was unchanging. "There is no deal Sa'lu. You forfeited that right when you decided to mess with the likes of Team Rocket."_

_The old woman smirked, shaking her head slowly. "I had a feeling you would try to make things difficult."_

"_What agreement?" Kair's voice sounded louder but still fell on deaf ears as ignoring her, Giovanni handed her Silver._

"_This ends here and now, Sa'lu," removing the orange jacket from his shoulders, he let it slip to the ground by his feet. "You and I both know what special ability you possess."_

"_Hah!" Sa'lu scoffed,__ "You cannot beat me!"_

"_There is only one way to find out, Sa'lu."_

_The woman's smirk remained though she seemed to hesitate before finally her expression fell. "I don't have time for this," her utterance came out as a growl and she clicked her fingers. _

_Giovanni and his daughter didn't even see the men dressed in ninja garb until they stepped out from hiding. Suddenly a dark green gas surrounded them, choking them and bringing them to their knees. Their senses blotting out, they were unable to even conjure a defensive attack between them as the gas seeped into their lungs and minds. _

_A masked figure was suddenly standing over the duo, watching them with great interest as she plucked the already unconscious child from Kair's arms. _

"_Don't be afraid for your son, my Granddaughter," Sa'lu whispered as she watched the girl's mind spiral into oblivion. "He will always be my favourite…"_

**To be continued…**

* * *

**Author's note:** Welp, that ends Volume 6. But fear not, because I have a super fast paced and action packed 7th and final Volume in store! It's going to be EPIC! (I hope). Going back to Kair's point of view, the first chapter is going up right now, so I'll see you there ;)!

**Volume 7: Black and White (Ties that bind)**

Months after Silver's kidnapping, Kair still searches for her son. Sa'lu - a sworn enemy of Team Rocket has taken refuge in Team Plasma. And as the struggle for the 'Ultimate Power' spills into Unova's Capital, only one boy and his Pikachu will be able to stop them all…


End file.
